Pharrell and Beyoncé – arguably the two most wanted people in the world – definitely sat down together last year to talk cowboys. You can't convince this young(-ish) buck otherwise.

In his role as creative director of Louis Vuitton Men’s, Pharrell debuted a rodeo-ready autumn/winter 2024 collection at the first Paris Fashion Week of the year back in January. Bey dropped Cowboy Carter – a rootin'-tootin' masterpiece – in March. In the month between (so, February), Mrs Carter attended the 2024 Grammys in a Louis Vuitton look fit for a 19th Century sheriff.

Perhaps they caught up after Pharrell’s inaugural LV show in Paris last June, which Beyoncé and her husband, Jay(-Z), attended. Maybe before; maybe after.

Either way, one thing's for sure: they're successfully reclaiming the wild, wild west for Black people who were – and still very much are – paramount to country culture. (Including its music. Santi Elijah Holley did a great job of summing up the influence of Black artists on the genre for National Geographic, if you're interested.)

To mark the launch of the Louis Vuitton AW24 collection, I spoke to two of the Black cowboys who walked the Western-inspired catwalk, as well as some Black creatives who have been raising awareness through their own means.

Ronnie Davis – Oklahoma Cowboy, Louis Vuitton Model

"Pharrell requested authentic cowboys to introduce his western-wear which means a lot as Black cowboys, like myself, are often overlooked and under-booked even though Bill Pickett, a Black cowboy, invented the wrestling discipline that is held at a professional level on all professional rodeo platforms.

"It felt good to receive recognition from a well respected brand, as a Black Cowboy but also as a Seminole Native. My Native American heritage was recognised through turquoise details and more. I represent and spread acknowledgement of both cultures."

Taylor Williams – Oklahoma Cowboy, Louis Vuitton Model

"It means a lot that we are getting the recognition we deserve – the word cowboy was used originally used to describe Black people. White cowboys were called cowhands.

"Nat Love, Bill Pickett, and Bass Reeves were some of the first Black cowboys, they learned their ways from Spanish Vaqueros who introduced cattle to Mexico in the 1500s. But people don't know that there was, and still is, Black cowboys, even if the Black rodeo circuit is much smaller than the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

"I spread the word and tell my story everywhere I go."

Ivan McClellan – Photographer and Founder of Eight Seconds, a Project Focused on Documenting Black Cowboy Culture

"Black cowboys are vital, cool and untapped, so seeing the culture getting the attention it deserves is delightful and rewarding.

"I was the only photographer at my first Black rodeo in 2015; now, two of the working cowboys from our Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo – Kamal Miller and Ronnie Davis – are representing the culture on an international stage: the LV runway. That's a level of authenticity you rarely see in fashion or media."

Otis Quaicoe – Oregon-based Ghanaian artist behind Black Rodeo: Cowboys of the 21st Century

"I grew up in Ghana, and I was a big fan of cowboy movies but, back then, I had no idea that Black cowboys existed. So many things have been omitted from cowboy media, but with what Beyoncé and Pharrell are doing, the truth is coming to the light.

"It's so important to see someone who looks like me representing this culture – I have more of a connection with it this way. We need to break barriers. We need to showcase who we are. We are talented and creative. Pharrell, alongside Beyoncé, is showcasing Black cowboys in a way that's never been seen before. To see him at this luxurious brand is so encouraging. It inspires us and motivates us to do what we do best: create. This is what we've been waiting for. This is what we've been waiting to do."

Stephanie Seales – Author of My Daddy is A Cowboy

"Through research for My Daddy Is a Cowboy, I learned that, historically, one in four cowboys were Black. I didn't know that growing up. We haven't seen many Black cowboys in mainstream media, until very recently. Anti-Blackness attempted to erase Black people from cowboy culture, so I'm happy to see anyone shining a light on Black cowboy culture! And the fact that Cowboy Carter and the Pharrell collection came out around the means a heightened cultural emphasis."