Spike Lee’s Pink Louis Vuitton Suit Won Cannes Opening Night
We all know that Spike Lee is one of the most stylish men in Hollywood. Sure, there’s his signature round spectacles and his lifelong taste for an outré hat—from beanies, to baseball caps, to berets—but the joy of Lee’s playful eye for fashion lies in its ongoing evolution. Back when he first shot to fame in the late ’80s with She’s Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing, it was all about baggy denim, graphic tees, and printed pointed-collar shirts. In more recent years, however, Lee prefers a sophisticated suiting moment with a twist: whether attending the Oscars in a purple suit as a heartfelt tribute to Kobe Bryant, or simply wearing a classic pinstripe two-piece with a pair of gold sneakers for a final flamboyant touch.
For his latest look, it seems that Lee is reconciling his eye for sharp tailoring with the eye-popping colors and patterns that first caught the eye of filmgoers and fashion followers alike all those years ago. And what better occasion to do it than the opening gala of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival? This year, Lee is serving as president of the Cannes Competition jury alongside an illustrious panel that includes Mati Diop, Jessica Chastain, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Tahar Rahim; marking 32 years since Do the Right Thing premiered at Cannes to a rapturous reception, it felt like Lee’s career coming full circle.
So to mark his first night out walking the legendary red carpet, Lee pulled out all the stops. In a hot pink, double-breasted suit designed by Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton, topped off with a pair of matching pink sunglasses with holographic lenses, Lee showed up for the photographers lining the Croisette with a variety of poses in tow. It’s also worth noting Lee’s savvy stroke of fashion diplomacy in his choice of designer. (A Black American creative working within the highest echelons of a once-stuffy French institution does sound strangely familiar, after all.) And for a final offbeat twist, Lee finished off the look with a pair of custom Nike Air Jordans and a black fedora. Smart, suave, and a little bit subversive—it couldn’t be anyone but Spike.
