Pharrell Williams is the new men's creative director of Louis Vuitton
The position of men's creative director at Louis Vuitton has remained empty since the death of Virgil Abloh in 2021. Yesterday, the house announced that his successor will be celebrity producer Pharrell Williams. His first collection will show this June during the Men's Fashion week in Paris.
The highly awaited appointment comes as a surprise to many, given that the names of designers like Grace Wales Bonner, Martine Rose, and Telfar Clemens have been swirling for months. It's one of Pietro Beccari's first big moves as the new Louis Vuitton Chairman and CEO, a position he took just two weeks ago.
In a statement, Beccari described William's appointment as a return, rather than a brand-new start: "I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men's Creative Director. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter."
Pharrell's name has become somewhat synonymous with luxury collaborations, but his sunglasses collection with then-Louis Vuitton Creative Director Marc Jacobs in 2004 was his very first. Long-time friend Abloh re-issued the colourful collection with gold details in 2018, with pairs originally retailing for $300 to $500 and then upwards of $1,700 for resale. When the shades originally dropped, Pharrell told Women's Wear Daily, "You have to understand, I am just a regular dude. At the end of the day, this is all an incredible dream come true." He then added, "He is Marc Jacobs and it is Louis Vuitton, and who am I for that matter?"
Pharrell has since gone on to collaborate with Chanel and Moncler. His long-term partnership at Adidas Originals began in 2014, with his original collection featuring makeups of classic styles like the Adidas Superstar, the Stan Smith, and the brand's track jacket. Just this past November, after years of the internet, making jokes about his ageless complexion (at one point, he had to publicly tell Time Out London, "I am not [a vampire]"), he launched his skincare line, Humanrace.
He's also a fashion fan favourite, winning the CFDA fashion icon award in 2015, and his impact on style as we know it can't be understated. As the frontman of the hip-hop and rock band N.E.R.D, he shifted people's perception of what hip-hop style could be by incorporating skatewear, bold prints, and even nerdy prep classics in his look.
In 2020, Abloh told The New York Times that Pharrell's arrival on the scene with the 2001 album 'In Search Of...' had a lasting influence on him, "As a kid growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, skateboarding and finding my own identity, it resonated with me more than hip-hop on its own. [It said] that it was fine to be in between. And I think that has described a whole generation of young black kids and artists who have since been determined to be themselves and jump through that door that was opened by Pharrell."
Many also consider Pharrell a pioneer of the gender-neutral clothing moment. He appeared on the cover of GQ in 2019 wearing a ballgown puffer, was the first man to star in a Chanel ad in 2017, and owns a truly envy-inducing number of pieces from Phoebe Philo's time at Céline.
Pharrell is no stranger to LVMH, the French luxury conglomerate that owns Vuitton. The Japanese producer and designer Nigo, with whom Pharrell launched the influential Billionaire Boys Club, was appointed the creative director of LVMH brand Kenzo in 2021. And Pharrell was a part of the re-brand of Tiffany, starring in campaigns after Beyoncé and Jay-Z. He recently wore a custom pair of almond-shaped emerald and diamond-encrusted Tiffany sunglasses to the Grammys, and hinted to WWD that more projects were "in the works."
LVMH's priorities appear to be shifting, with an emphasis on creating major pop culture moments. Pharrell's influence has actually already made a viral hit for Louis Vuitton indirectly. The most recent men's show featured Spanish flamenco pop sensation Rosalía playing songs from her record-breaking album Motomami, which was produced in part by Pharrell. Her performance blew up, earning millions of views, likes, and comments on TikTok. Some critics have complained that there were more videos of the moment than of the actual clothing, but maybe that was the point: Everyone was talking about the show for days after models walked down the runway.
Pharrell has wiped his Instagram clean. The appointment announcement from Louis Vuitton is the only post on his page. And if one thing is clear, it's this: We're entering a new era, for both the artist and the brand.
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