Paris’ new pulse: Ishaan Khatter blends cultural roots with cutting-edge couture, turning heads, winning hearts

Let’s be honest; walking into Paris Fashion Week as a Louis Vuitton guest is no small feat. But walking out with fans chanting your name, your look making waves online and doing it all with calm, unfiltered charm? That’s Ishaan Khatter. The young actor — yes, the same guy who gave us the head-turning performance in the The Royals — just marked another milestone. This time, it wasn’t on a film set but on the pavements of Paris, right outside the Pompidou Centre, where Pharrell Williams unveiled Louis Vuitton’s Spring-Summer 2026 men’s collection.

Not just showing up — showing out

Wearing a tailored Louis Vuitton ensemble, Ishaan wasn’t just dressed; he was styled. He had the kind of look that doesn’t scream for attention — but turns heads anyway. His style leaned into that sweet spot between global couture and desi cool, echoing the very theme Pharrell Williams explored in the collection itself — a nod to India through fabrics, motifs and textures.

And while celebs such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z and LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault took their seats, Ishaan was busy doing something… refreshingly real. He was outside the venue — chatting, posing, laughing with fans. Not in a PR-managed, ‘two-pics-then-go’ kind of way, but like someone who just enjoys such moment. It’s rare, honestly. Especially at events where everyone’s either too famous or too busy to notice the crowd. But Ishaan noticed.

Fashion with a heartbeat

Now, let’s talk about the show itself. Pharrell — musician, mogul and now Vuitton’s men’s creative director — went full throttle with elephants, palm trees, live drums and a choir that moved the runway. One model even wheeled a transparent purple acrylic trunk down the set (which, by the way, was painted like a giant snakes and ladders board). It was fashion-meets-theatre, with a bit of summer heat and cultural remix. The collection played with silhouettes — loose, pleated trousers, striped coats and workwear jazzed up with embellishments. Accessories? Think chunky leather flip-flops with suits, like a Goan dude at a beach wedding, but make it Paris runway. Ishaan’s look fit right into this aesthetic — a smooth blend of East and West, casual and couture.

Why Ishaan matters more than just his outfit

Here’s the thing — this wasn’t just about fashion. It was about visibility. About a young Indian actor standing confidently among the global crème de la crème of fashion and cinema, not as a plus-one, not as a token, but as someone who belongs. From his breakout role in Beyond the Clouds to his nuanced performance in Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy, Ishaan’s career has never followed a straight line. He hops between indie and commercial like someone changing subway lines — effortless, purposeful and always headed somewhere interesting. Fashion, it seems, is just another track he’s comfortably walking.

Lifestyle