Anne of Carversville is smiling after waking up this morning to a fabulous image of mother-to-be Rihanna holding brightly-colored Louis Vuitton bags in Paris.

Pharrell Williams stands in front of the larger-than-life Rihanna image the river side of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, posing as the conductor of his new Louis Vuitton Mens orchestra — because that is how Pharrell views his position.

The uber-talent announced on Instagram that he has chosen Rihanna as his muse for the upcoming Louis Vuitton Men's show in Paris. And can we all agree that that Rihanna’s baby bump will probably go down as the most famous and widely viewed baby bump in history.

The show marking Williams' first collection for Louis Vuitton Mens, will take place in the City of Lights on June 20, 2023, at 8:30 p.m. Louis Vuitton execs used their considerable influence to change Pharrell’s debut date.

Williams, who is known for his eclectic sense of style and music, has been making waves in the fashion industry for years. His partnership with Louis Vuitton Mens is highly anticipated, and the announcement of Rihanna as his muse only adds to the excitement surrounding the show.

Both Pharrell Williams and LVMH Have Strong Ties to Rihanna

The star has collaborated with Williams on music and fashion projects in the past, is a natural choice as his muse. Her effortless style and bold personality perfectly embody the vision of the Louis Vuitton Mens collection.

LVMH, including with the Arnault family, remains on excellent terms with Rihanna. It’s true that her Fenty ready-to-wear collection was put on an indefinite hiatus by LVMH in February 2021. But their private equity firm L Catterton is a key investor in Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie and beauty businesses, valued over $1 billion in 2021 by Forbes.

“Following the completion of the fundraising round where L Catterton took a stake in Savage X Fenty, LVMH and Rihanna reaffirmed their ambition to concentrate on the growth and the long-term development of Fenty ecosystem focusing on cosmetics, skincare, and lingerie,” LVMH and Rihanna added in a statement to WWD. Activewear is scheduled also under the lingerie umbrella.

LVMH Control Tower for Luxury Brands Airport

Increasingly, we see LVMH as a very friendly octopus — or as the control tower of a private planes airport.

The Pharrell-Rihanna synergy in music is very real for Louis Vuitton. But with LVMH also invested in Rihanna, every euro of investment in Vuitton Mens works overtime for their Rihanna investment. The clients aren’t the same base but the PR and social media spin is major for the star.

I’ll bet there’s a handcrafted monopoly board in the Arnault family. They move the brand houses — big and little — around the board, so they can see all the different collaborations going on between — or even among three — LVMH brands.

Admiring those great-looking, brightly-colored Louix Vuitton duffle bags, AOC’s brain switches to the 2024 Olympics, where Antoine Arnault, one of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault's five children, could soon close on a high-profile agreement that would see the company sponsor the 2024 Paris Olympic games.

The 46-year-old oldest son is head of image at LVMH and is reportedly negotiating the promotion of the company's brands, which include Louis Vuitton and Dior, as well as its Champagne offerings. A source familiar with the group's discussions claims the deal could cost the Arnaults €150 million, or $164 million at current exchange.

Do you want to take another look at those Olympic rings again? Or should I show you the NBA players wardrobe that Louis Vuitton Mens maintains for the players? I’ll move that post in the morning. I call the Arnaults the modern Medici family, and I stand by my compliment. This is an awesome organization.

In our early May post about Pharrell’s ‘Something in the Water’ Festival in Virginia Beach, we noted some Louis Vuitton Mens products were featured. We missed the Louis Vuitton sand castle trunks pyramid with Pharrell Williams sitting on top.

Seeing the image of Pharrell sitting on top of the pyramid, it took me back to the December Dior Men’s show in Egypt, at the foot of the pyramids. AOC is particularly alert to symbolism and in the world of LVMH, there are few spontaneous brand-related events. Only a few of us see all the symbolism in all of of LVMH’s conscious or unconscious actions.

This family has deep intellectual roots, and AOC appreciates them deeply. And they connect with intellectual roots like in Pharrell and Rihanna’s world. It’s a real breath of fresh air. ~ Anne