As France registered its hottest day on record, who wouldn’t dream of taking a plunge in the ocean?

Cowabunga! Pharrell Williams, who always has water on the brain, whipped up a surfing-inspired spring collection designed to take the Louis Vuitton customer from the boardroom to the beach — complete with logoed surfboards.

Guests including brand ambassadors Jeremy Allen White, Jackson Wang and J-Hope gathered at a university campus on the outskirts of Paris for the outdoor show, set in an open box filled with fine sand. The catwalk snaked out from behind a spectacular artificial wave that kicked up a steady spray, providing welcome relief from the hellish heat.

As the sound of thundering surf gave way to a live orchestra, models emerged in outfits ranging from relaxed tailoring to full wetsuits — marking the first time Vuitton has put its famed Monogram on functional diving gear.

Ribbed cashmere jackets and bouclé wool robe coats were inspired by the toasty cover-ups that surfers reach for after a chilly ride, but palm-print Hawaiian shirts and cutoff denim shorts felt more appropriate for the sweltering temperatures that have forced several brands to reschedule their shows in Paris this week.

Williams said his fascination with the sea goes back to his childhood in Virginia Beach on the Atlantic Ocean. “When I was maybe 2 years old, I hit my head on an aquarium, and all the water fell on me and it was very traumatic — but then all my life I became obsessed with water,” he told WWD.

His well-documented love of skateboarding earned him the nickname Skateboard P in high school, but he never tried his hand at surfing until last year, when he ventured to the surf park located a stone’s throw from the Atlantis Apartments housing project where he grew up.

In any case, actual surfing chops were beside the point for this collection, which continued to mine the refined aesthetic that Williams has made a cornerstone of his menswear designs for Vuitton. “I don’t see these things as fashion shows. I see them as dandy experiences,” he said.

Here, he was thinking of the kind of executive who likes to catch waves in Costa Rica or Montauk, but is also a bit of a peacock. His wardrobe might include classic double-breasted suits, duffel coats and bomber jackets, sprinkled with psychedelic pieces like jeans embroidered with cowrie shells, or a jacket made from a crazy patchwork of souvenir patches.

“I’m a creative director, but I’m a consumer’s designer: I design for things that I know I’m gonna consume,” Williams said.

His personal favorite this season was both grounded and extravagant: Vuitton’s take on a classic skate shoe, named the Combi, rendered in materials including its signature Monogram canvas and a variety of exotic leathers.

Since Williams teased his red crocodile leather pair on Instagram over the weekend, the sneaker has generated much chatter online, including a comment from the official account of Vans.

Williams said the design took him back two decades to his initial collaborations with Vuitton under Marc Jacobs, which prefigured the subsequent convergence of streetwear and luxury menswear. “I still feel like I can’t believe I’m here,” he marveled.

In the meantime, the slowdown in luxury spending has prompted many designers to pivot to quiet luxury — and Williams hasn’t missed a beat.

Over the seasons, he has tweaked his tailoring, alternating his beloved flared pants with more conservative fits, and pushed fabric development, like classic Savile Row suit wools bonded with technical materials, used here for waterproof separates that were perfect for cycling to work in the rain.

Several of the cashmere yarns in this collection were developed with Loro Piana, which has grown to become the third-largest label in the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton stable, after Vuitton and Dior. It all ties back to Williams’ obsession with quality, which has seen him produce increasingly elevated versions of brand staples like the Speedy bag.

Among the superlative leather pieces in this lineup were jackets made of painted python and a powdery blue crocodile. “If I can’t do it to the best of what is possible, then I’m wasting Bernard Arnault’s time and I’m wasting my time,” Williams reasoned, referring to the LVMH boss. “I don’t do it for fashion, I do it for standard.”

That is probably the biggest evolution since he succeeded the late Virgil Abloh at the helm of Vuitton’s menswear division. While Abloh used his platform to blow open the gates of luxury for a new generation of consumers, Williams is speaking to an audience of his peers, reflecting the mass defection of aspirational clients and the implacable rise of VICs, which now make up the core of the business.

This is where his superior storytelling skills come into play, as Vuitton spins travel-themed fantasies for the man who has it all. As far as actually taking his surfboard out on the open sea, Williams was doubtful. “I don’t think I’m gonna go,” he demurred. “The surf park is nice, and there’s no sharks in there.”