“Hey — wanted you to be the first to see details of the collection from tonight’s LV Men’s show. Sending some pics soon,” Pharrell Williams wrote in a DM to Albert Ayal, the talent scout behind the fashion Instagram account @UpNextDesigner, on 24 June. The message came via the @Skateboard Instagram, where the creative director and his team share behind-the-scenes shots from Louis Vuitton. Ayal immediately took a screenshot and shared it to his Instagram story.
Ayal wasn’t the only fashion creator with a luxury brand sliding into the DMs, or getting more personal, this menswear season. Bally messaged sustainable fashion creator and consultant Scott Staniland a photo of himself from the brand’s Milan presentation (posted to Staniland’s story). Maison Margiela invited fashion critic Ashantéa Austin to its couture show via DM (which Austin screenshotted and shared via a reel). And, ahead of Jonathan Anderson’s menswear debut, Dior added content creator and fashion critic Hanan Besovic (@IDeserveCouture) to its Close Friends story, where the brand shared sneak peaks of Anderson’s mood board images and handbag designs. Besovic shared snippets on both TikTok and Instagram.
