Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 took an unexpected yet extravagant turn with a showcase of Pharrell Williams' menswear couture collection for Louis Vuitton. While the runway was filled with standout fashion moments, it was the breathtaking set design, a massive, life-sized Snakes and Ladders board by Mumbai-based architect Bijoy Jain, that truly stole the spotlight.

A runway unlike any other

Staged at the iconic Place Georges Pompidou, Pharrell's show was a tribute to the subtle elegance of Indian culture, integrating elements of Indian textiles, music, and even architecture. However, the most unexpected and unforgettable element was a gigantic Snakes and Ladders board laid across the venue, transforming it into a surreal game board where fashion met philosophy.

According to AD, the life-size set was made of wood, painted with a burnt umber pigment clay slip, and covered with five hand-drawn serpents in bright orange, green, and turquoise hues. Thus, the models and onlookers were turned into participants in this gigantic game.

Louis Vuitton described the set as a "metaphorical construct of possibility." As models walked across the massive board, the audience couldn't help but become immersed, as though they were all part of the game.

Meet the architect behind the magic: Bijoy Jain

While Pharrell's creative direction made headlines, much of the visual narrative came from Bijoy Jain, the Indian architect who reimagined the Parisian plaza with playful intellect and architectural depth.

Bijoy Jain is the founder of Studio Mumbai, a globally acclaimed architectural practice known for its deeply contextual and collaborative design philosophy. Born and raised in Mumbai, Bijoy studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis and later worked with famed architect Richard Meier in both Los Angeles and London.

In 2005, he returned to India to establish his studio, focusing on work that blends local craftsmanship with a minimalist yet grounded aesthetic.

His work has been showcased at prestigious global venues, including the Venice Architecture Biennale (2010, 2016), Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Pompidou Centre, Paris and the list goes on.

Bijoy has also held academic roles, including as the Norman R. Foster Visiting Professor at Yale University and as a guest critic at ETH Zurich.

Currently, Studio Mumbai is working on projects in Jaipur, Zurich, Nice, and Florence, and this collaboration with Louis Vuitton adds a new creative milestone to his multidisciplinary portfolio.