Marching 100, the aptly named 100-person marching band from Florida’s A&M University in Tallahassee, were selected by Louis Vuitton Men's music director Benji B to open the luxury brand’s Paris Fashion Week Men’s spring/summer 2023 catwalk show at The Louvre, in front of a crowd including Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, J Balvin, Naomi Campbell, Tyga, Dave and Russel Westbrook.
After the idea of including a marching band was conceived by late creative director Virgil Abloh, Marching 100 were chosen for their ‘authenticity’ and their heritage and history. Shelby Chipman, the band’s director, commented ‘The opportunity to perform in this epic moment in Paris, France, during the Louis Vuitton Fashion Show is truly another major accomplishment and adds to our strong legacy of excellence’.