This is an edition of the newsletter Show Notes, in which Samuel Hine reports from the front row of the fashion world. Sign up here to get it free.
In the basement of the Centre Pompidou, a linebacker-sized man is keeping a careful eye on Pharrell Williams. It’s just before the Louis Vuitton Men’s spring 2026 show, and Pharrell is giving previews to a small group of journalists in the crowded backstage area. The man, Dalontee Edgerton, is an ex-Secret Service agent who has served as Pharrell’s personal bodyguard for the past six years. He also happens to outdress just about anyone at fashion week.
Today, Edgerton is putting on a masterclass of tactical drip in a sleek track jacket detailed with the Louis Vuitton monogram and damier-print jorts from Pharrell’s recent collaboration with Japanese streetwear god Nigo; his Cactus Plant Flea Market socks are tucked into rare LV x Timberland work boots. Gold grills gleam on his teeth. It’s a flashy look—but in Pharrell’s luxurious orbit, Edgerton is basically undercover, fashion week style.
Christina Fragkou
“He crushes it every time,” says Pharrell. “He’s him. He’s got sauce.”
I first noticed Edgerton last year at Pharrell’s western-themed Louis Vuitton show. I could tell he was security as he methodically worked the rope line at a post-show reception, but he looked more like a swagged-out sheriff. While the rest of the muscle wore standard-issue dark suits, Edgerton’s outfit was straight from the new LV collection, complete with a bolo tie, 10-gallon hat, and flared trousers over pointy cowboy boots. If he wasn’t so big you would have thought he had just walked the runway.
I assumed that Pharrell helps style his professional shadow, but not so. “He do him,” Pharrell says.
Edgerton politely declined to comment for this story, but those who know him say that the DC native has always been interested in fashion, even if he wasn’t allowed to exactly stunt while serving on President Obama’s Secret Service detail. That’s where he earned his reputation for staying calm and courteous under pressure, but the taste level was apparently always there. By the time Pharrell hired him, the gentle giant was already a Louis Vuitton client. Lately, he seems to have developed a taste for Dior accessories and rare Pharrell-approved Adidas sneakers.
