An iconic anthem from Final Fantasy 7 was heard on the runway this week during a Louis Vuitton fashion show by Pharrell Williams.
Yes, bizarre as it may seem, a bunch of moody male models lazily wandered along a catwalk as the stabbing, dramatic strings of bad boy Sephiroth’s theme song One Winged Angel were performed by a live orchestra.
Williams is the Men’s Creative Director at the French fashion house and was in charge of the music selection, which also included tracks he’s written for The Weeknd and multiple K-pop acts.
One Winged Angel, from series composer Nobuo Uematsu, certainly makes for an intense opening though, and stands out from the other hip-hop tracks.
Why was it chosen? It certainly doesn’t seem to relate to the actual fashion show, which was more preppy, tweed tailoring and streetwear than wings and long silvery hair.
Still, Square Enix certainly seems pleased with the inclusion. And as musician Alex Moukala pointed out, Pharrell’s debut album cover with NERD features a band member playing a PS1, so maybe this is a full circle moment.
This isn’t even the first time Final Fantasy music has been heard at an event this year. AEW wrestler Kenny Omega debuted a new entrance song at Wrestle Dynasty in Tokyo earlier this month, which was written by Final Fantasy 14 and 16 composer Masayoshi Soken.
Omega is clearly a fan of the series, considering his finishing move is called the One Winged Angel.
It’s also not the first time we’ve seen a Final Fantasy collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
Back in 2016, Final Fantasy 13 protagonist Lightning appeared in a Louis Vuitton campaign to become an unlikely fashion icon.
It’s a big week for Final Fantasy 7 fans as Rebirth is released on PC, which comes with Steam Deck verification too but hopefully no weird mods.
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