Matt Varga Pharrell Williams, for work ethic or the odd controversy, is never too far out of the headlines. Over the weekend, the multi-hyphenate, in his role as creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear, took to social media to tease some of the next steps for the brand ahead of Paris Fashion Week. Our first look at the Louis Vuitton Combi saw a skate-inspired shoe draped in all red, but audiences immediately drew connections to the Vans Authentic. But sneakerheads weren’t the only ones paying attention.
Indeed, Vans themselves saw the resemblance as well, jumping into the comments section and even launching a quick turnaround campaign, highlighting the Vans Authentic in a similar blood red colorway. Further, they reached back to some of Pharrell’s behind-the-boards handiwork, recalling Clipse’s “Mr. Me Too” with the caption “Wanna know the time. Better clock us.” On Monday morning, Pharrell added images of more upcoming colorways, with some of the charmed editions no doubt calling to mind even more recent moves from Vans.
To be sure, this is far from the first time that Pharrell has ruffled feathers around the industry. Fans and insiders alike immediately latched onto the Louis Vuitton Buttersoft, first previewed in early 2025, as a “dupe” of the Nike Cortez, though the oversized aesthetics of his archival Board Flip helped push beyond the bounds of the Swoosh’s staple shoe.
Nonetheless, this play of taking a streetwise silhouette and applying “elevated” touches is one that fashion houses writ large reach for frequently. It’s not even the first time this season that the Vans Authentic has been an unwitting canvas; Dior’s Saltwind model, recently hitting shelves, has drawn comparisons to the longtime skate icon.
Whether the fact that this is a playbook that several companies have deployed is enough to justify Pharrell’s play is a different story. Is imitation really the highest form of flattery, or is Louis Vuitton out of bounds for aping the California company’s designs? We’ll leave you to your own conclusions; get a sense of the Louis Vuitton Combi via the galleries below.
