Published by Thames & Hudson, the 632-Page Volume Chronicles Nearly Three Decades of Collections From Marc Jacobs to Pharrell Williams
Louis Vuitton is opening its menswear archives with a new book documenting nearly three decades of fashion, tracing the evolution of the house’s men’s collections from Marc Jacobs to Pharrell Williams. Published by Thames & Hudson and available November 5, Louis Vuitton Menswear Catwalk brings together more than 50 collections in a comprehensive visual record of the designers who have shaped the house’s approach to men’s fashion.
The 632-page hardcover volume features approximately 1,400 images, including more than 1,200 runway photographs, capturing the evolution of Louis Vuitton menswear through the work of Marc Jacobs, Paul Helbers, Kim Jones, Virgil Abloh and Pharrell Williams. Beyond the clothes themselves, the book documents the accessories, details and runway presentations that have helped establish Louis Vuitton as one of the most influential names in contemporary menswear.
Fashion critic Anders Christian Madsen provides the introduction, designer biographies and accompanying collection texts, placing each creative period within the broader development of the house. His perspective connects Louis Vuitton’s origins as a maker of travel goods to its evolving interpretation of a modern international wardrobe.
“Louis Vuitton is a House of travel. Since its founder launched the first trunk in 1854, every bag and garment has been created for a global mentality,” Madsen writes. He describes the house’s menswear as a reflection of the dress codes shared across continents, interpreted through five designers whose approaches have differed considerably.
That evolution is central to the book’s appeal. Louis Vuitton’s menswear story began under Jacobs, who established the house’s ready-to-wear direction in 1998. The volume follows its development through Helbers and Jones, whose work helped define a sophisticated approach to luxury menswear, and into the influential tenure of Abloh, who brought a new cultural perspective to the house’s relationship with streetwear, music and contemporary art.
The narrative continues with Williams, whose appointment in 2023 introduced another chapter in Louis Vuitton’s dialogue with popular culture. His collections have explored the relationship between craftsmanship and everyday dressing, often drawing on the house’s travel heritage while expanding its visual and cultural vocabulary.
“Our codes here are very simple: chic, wearable and well-made. We work in the art of refinement,” Williams says in the book. “I don’t design to fashion, I design a standard.”
The publication also provides a detailed photographic history of Louis Vuitton’s runway presentations, beginning with its first standalone men’s show in January 2001. Across the following decades, those presentations evolved into increasingly elaborate expressions of each designer’s vision, with set design and staging becoming important elements of the house’s creative identity.
For fashion professionals, the book offers something beyond a retrospective of memorable runway moments. By presenting the collections chronologically, it makes it possible to follow the evolution of silhouettes, styling and product categories, while observing how successive designers have interpreted and expanded the same house codes.
The project forms part of Thames & Hudson’s Catwalk series, which was conceived as a comprehensive visual reference library documenting the collections of major fashion houses. With this publication, the publisher introduces menswear to the series.
Adélia Sabatini, the publisher’s Editorial Director for Fashion, explains that preserving the historical record of runway collections was one of the project’s original motivations.
“My aim was to build a comprehensive reference library and offer fashion lovers the chance to journey through a house’s legacy,” Sabatini says. She notes that the series also seeks to preserve images of early fashion shows that might otherwise become difficult to locate as digital archives evolve.
Developed with access to the houses’ archives, the Catwalk books combine fashion scholarship with extensive photographic documentation, making collections accessible to designers, students, historians and readers interested in the development of contemporary fashion.
Louis Vuitton Menswear Catwalk is available in English and French editions, with a hardcover format measuring 277 by 190 millimeters. Priced at €75, £65 or $95, the book will be available through Louis Vuitton stores and internationally beginning November 5, 2026.
As Louis Vuitton continues to develop its menswear identity under Williams, the publication offers an opportunity to revisit the creative decisions that brought the house to its current position. Across five designers and nearly thirty years, it documents not only the changing appearance of Louis Vuitton menswear but also the growing cultural influence of men’s fashion itself.