Indian architect Bijoy Jain turned the Louis Vuitton S/S 2026 runway into a game of snakes and ladders

Bijoy Jain's incredible game of snakes and ladders was definitely the highlight of Louis Vuitton's recent show in Paris. The French luxury fashion house partnered with Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai to design the set of the Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 show led by Pharrell Williams, with a result that left everyone astonished. 

Louis Vuitton presented a collection rooted in the multi-faceted signatures of Indian sartorialism by threading a cross-cultural narrative through a contemporary wardrobe. The inspiration behind Pharrell's menswear S/S 2026 collection came from his visit to India in 2018. The Louis Vuitton team explored cities like Mumbai and Delhi for inspiration about the way people dressed through colours, shapes and patterns.

It was only natural to rope in Jain, an Indian architect, who runs Studio Mumbai, to bring Indian authenticity and charm to the stage in Paris. A life-sized game of Snakes and Ladders transformed Place Georges Pompidou into a veritable playground, immersing the audience, who were cast as players, in the metaphorical construct of possibility. 

In an Instagram post shared by Louis Vuitton, Jain shareed his inspiration, saying, "I’m interested in the exploration of all possibilities; if you look at your best work, it’s a work that you had no idea that that’s what you could do. You have to come back to the point of being in full exposure of not knowing the outcome. Snakes and Ladders was the origin of the thought. It’s the etiquette of how one moves in a space and how one makes things. For me, it’s a cosmic diagram. It’s like a mandala, but set in this idea of a game where everybody has to ascend." 

The runway took the form of a magnified board of snakes and ladders, a board game that has originated in India. In the game, players race to the finish by rolling dice, climbing ladders to advance, and sliding down snakes that send them back. Huge dice were placed at the entrances to the centre, where guests in attendance posed. 

At the show, the flooring was crafted from timber, local marble, and coloured stone, arranged in an aged interpretation of Louis Vuitton’s signature Damier check. Overlaying this were five hand-drawn serpents in fluorescent shades of turquoise, orange, and green, based on a series of lime and gesso drawings, using raw pigments. 

In addition to Bijoy Jain and Pharrell Williams enigmatic vision, the show also featured several Indian inspirations; gem-encrusted bags and jackets, elephant motifs on carry-ons, and trunks reminiscent of Indian artistry. The music had India at its soul as as A R Rahman collaborated with William to bring Punjab beats to the runway. The melodious Yaara was performed by Romy that blended traditional Punjabi beats with contemporary music. 

Edited by Dayle Pereira