*Celebrity photographer Steven Williams says he has shopped at Louis Vuitton since childhood. But at 61, Williams says an encounter outside the luxury brand’s Glendale, California, store left him feeling demeaned, humiliated and, in his words, discriminated against.
Williams, who also works as a celebrity stylist, told EURweb that he went to the Louis Vuitton store that day specifically to look for clothing for a celebrity client.
Instead, he says, he found himself outside the store questioning why he wasn’t being allowed in.
“My experience at Louis Vuitton was demeaning, humiliating, and, from my perspective, discriminatory,” Williams said in an Aug. 27 statement provided directly to EURweb.
The statement expands on an encounter that drew attention earlier this month after Williams posted video of himself speaking with security outside the store. Williams’ discrimination allegation remains his account of what happened. The video documents the dispute over his entry but does not independently establish racial discrimination.
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He Says He Was Shopping for a Celebrity Client
Williams’ connection to EURweb predates this controversy. His celebrity photography has appeared on EURweb, including coverage of Black entertainment and community events.
On this particular trip, however, Williams says he wasn’t simply browsing for himself. He told EURweb he was working as a celebrity stylist and looking for clothing for a client.
As News18 reported, Williams said he was kept outside and questioned about what he wanted to buy.
In the video, Williams points out that only two customers are inside and tells the security guard he is a client.
“I’ve been in this store many times,” Williams says. “I’ve never, ever, ever had to give a reason to come inside the store to Louis Vuitton since I was a kid. Now at 61, I’m having an issue.”
The guard offers an explanation, telling Williams that the store is closing and that Louis Vuitton has “a system for how we manage the client experience.” When Williams later asks whether he will be admitted, he is told the store will reopen the following day at 11 a.m.
Williams Says White Customers Were Treated Differently
Williams’ new statement goes beyond his original social media post by directly placing the encounter within his experience as a Black customer.
“More than 60 years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Black Americans should not still have to question whether we will be welcomed, respected, or treated equally when we walk into a business,” Williams told EURweb.
He also makes a more specific allegation about the customers already inside.
“No one should have security called on them because they are waiting in line. No one should be kept out of any store when there are white people inside the store being treated differently,” he said.
EURweb has not independently established that the customers Williams referenced received different treatment because of race. The distinction is important. Williams says he experienced discrimination, while the explanation captured from security was that the store was closing and following its system for managing customers.
‘Our Dollars Matter. Our Dignity Matters’
Williams says his career, celebrity clientele and ability to afford luxury goods shouldn’t determine whether he receives respectful treatment.
“We should never have to prove our worth, our profession, our income, or who we know just to be treated with dignity,” he told EURweb.
That point carries particular weight because Williams wasn’t entering the boutique hoping his professional status would earn special treatment. According to what he told EURweb, shopping luxury fashion was part of his work that day.
EURweb has covered Williams’ photography previously, as well as other stories involving questions about Black consumers, luxury brands and whether they are presumed to belong in expensive spaces.
But those previous controversies cannot establish what motivated the Glendale encounter. This case must stand on what happened between Williams and store personnel and what each side said about it. For Williams, the experience has nevertheless become about something larger than one unsuccessful shopping trip.
“Our dollars matter. Our dignity matters. Our humanity matters,” he said. “If a business does not respect us, welcome us, and value us as customers, we have every right to reconsider where we spend our money.”
His closing message is even simpler.
“We should not settle for being tolerated,” Williams told EURweb. “We deserve to be respected.”
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