Luxury group LVMH said no water was wasted in the giant artificial waterfall built by its flagship Louis Vuitton brand to open Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday, as the French capital sweltered through a record-breaking heatwave that has made water use a sensitive issue.
The eight-metre-high wave — set against a sand-covered runway — formed the backdrop to singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams' 2027 spring-summer show. The structure was installed outside the Cité Universitaire, a sprawling 20th-century residential complex in southern Paris that houses 12,000 students a year, according to its website.
With temperatures climbing above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across much of France, images of the installation quickly drew scrutiny from residents and local politicians, rekindling debate over how fashion brands use the city and its landmarks for commercial purposes.
"The water used to create the wave comes entirely from Paris' water supply, which was pumped to the site and then entirely redirected back into Paris' sewer system via a closed-loop system," a LVMH spokesperson told Reuters.
She added the sand would be reused in the Cité Universitaire's beach-volleyball courts and by a recycling partner, and that the event had been adapted to comply with heatwave regulations.
The Cité Universitaire's communications director Jerome Duplan also said the water went through a closed-loop system.
'A very unfortunate message'
Proponents of Fashion Week say staging runway shows in public buildings enhances Paris' image as the world's fashion capital, but some of the industry's ambitious projects have met resistance from locals.
French political figures accused Williams' 2023 debut show, which sealed off Paris' oldest bridge near the Louvre Museum and Notre Dame cathedral, of appropriating public space.
"I understand the public's reaction to poorly explained privatisations, with restrictions on access and, in the midst of a heatwave, a display that sends a very unfortunate message," Melody Tonolli, the Paris deputy mayor responsible for student living conditions, said of the latest show.
LVMH said the six-week installation had been agreed in consultation with its host. The Cité Universitaire's Duplan said Louis Vuitton's sponsorship had helped fund the structure, which faces financial pressure as public funding declines and costs rise.
Some of its residents, however, said they had been treated unfairly and that despite paying rent they could not use some facilities and had to adjust daily routines because of the event. The show underscored a stark gap between extreme wealth and their own living conditions.
"When you see where we live and how we live and what Louis Vuitton has just made, it is a complete paradox," said student Emma Keller.