Over the last couple of decades, Pharrell Williams has gone beyond music to immerse himself in fashion and design. Since 2023, he has served as Creative Director for Louis Vuitton Menswear. Now, his latest endeavor has seen him dip his toes into yet another realm: architecture. As part of the Autumn/Winter (A/W) 2026 runway show, he collaborated with Not a Hotel to bring a “timeless future living concept” named DROPHAUS to life.
Built in a show space next to Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Boulogne park in Paris, DROPHAUS is a prefabricated house concept surrounded by a lush garden. It's meant to depict the home of the Louis Vuitton dandy; a man with a retro-futuristic sense of elegance who would feel right at home in this stylish world.
DROPHAUS gets its name from its main source of inspiration: a droplet of water, which permeates both the living concept and the collection itself. “Droplets serve as continuous metaphors for the way small-scale impact can change the future with a ripple effect,” explains Louis Vuitton. “Epitomized in the architecture of the DROPHAUS, drop motifs are further articulated in clothes and accessories through a number of techniques.”
Conceived as part of an all-encompassing experience, this habitat also features furniture designed by Williams, who strives for a unified language for the entire campaign. Through rugged textures and lines, the designer connects both the organic influence and the human hand behind it all. To drive the message home, the environment features a scent developed by Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, Louis Vuitton Master Perfumer, with olfactory notes taken from the surrounding garden.
“I grew up around water, I’m drawn to it, I build and create my best work close to it. DROPHAUS is based on a water drop, so if you stand back and take the roof and the ceiling off, it’s just a drop,” Williams told Wallpaper*. “If I can’t live in water, this is the closest thing. DROPHAUS is my vision of the future—something that makes sense today or 20 years from now because it’s built on function, savoir-faire and real human need. I’m not an architect. I’m a solution builder.”
This is not William’s first venture with Not a Hotel, as he and his and collaborator Nigo became investors and creative advisors for the Tokyo-based company last year. Their first large project is Japa Valley Tokyo, a one-hectare art, retail, and hospitality complex, set to open in 2027. To stay up to date with these endeavors, follow Not a Hotel on Instagram.
As part of the Louis Vuitton Menswear A/W 2026 runway show, Pharrell Williams collaborated with Not a Hotel to bring a “timeless future living concept” named DROPHAUS to life.
