Pharrell Williams, a singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, designer, and philanthropist, is now the creative director of Louis Vuitton for men.
Williams will take over the position formerly held by acclaimed designer Virgil Abloh, who passed away from cancer in November 2021 at the age of 41. Abloh was the first Black artistic director at Louis Vuitton.
During Paris Men’s Fashion Week in June, Williams’ debut line will be unveiled. Yet he is familiar with the company.
Following our work together for Louis Vuitton in 2004 and 2008, I’m happy to welcome Pharrell back home as our new Men’s Design Director, said Pietro Beccari, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton. His creative perspective will surely guide Louis Vuitton in a direction beyond fashion.
a brand-new and thrilling chapter. According to the Associated Press and New York Times, the 13-time Grammy winner and two-time Oscar contender has years of expertise working with luxury goods.
In the early 2000s, Williams worked with LVMH (Louis Vuitton Mot Hennessy) on eyeglasses and jewellery. The Millionaire sunglasses line was reintroduced in 2018 by Abloh, a friend of Williams. The series is still so popular that sunglasses are advertised on resale sites for more than double their original price.
Beyond that, Williams collaborated on a well-liked pair of sneakers with Chanel in 2017 (making history as the first male to appear in a Chanel advertisement) and created a unisex clothing line with Karl Lagerfeld in 2019. Additionally, he has collaborated with Tiffany & Co., Adidas Originals, and Moncler.
He is also he also started his own brands.
In 2003, Williams co-founded the well-known streetwear brand Billionaire Boys Club (alongside Japanese designer Nigo, who is now the artistic director of Kenzo, which is also owned by LVMH). He contributed to the development of a portable cutlery set during the epidemic in an effort to reduce the usage of single-use plastics for outdoor meals. He has also started the skincare and wellness business Humanrace.
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According to Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams is a visionary whose creative spheres range from music to art to fashion, cementing himself as a global cultural figure over the past 20 years. He also upholds the company’s ideals of “innovation, pioneer spirit, and entrepreneurship.”
After Abloh’s passing, the job has been unfilled. Williams now fills it.
As the creative director for the rapper formerly known as Offset, Abloh gained notoriety.
named Kanye West, who later founded the edgy streetwear brand Off-White and joined Louis Vuitton in 2018. According to the AP, he expanded his interests to include things like housewares, jewellery, and architecture as he transitioned from the role of “designer” to “curator.” Being one of the only Black designers running a high-end fashion brand, he shattered barriers for himself and sought to open doors for those who came after him.
Louis
According to Business of Fashion, “He reimagined the role of a creative director, filling it with skateboarding’s feeling of community, hip-passion hop’s for remixing, and a drive for social improvement.” He engaged directly with his fans both online and offline, giving them “cheat codes” and “trails of knowledge” on how to succeed, which helped open doors to a wider cast of creatives.
launch their own brands.
While many people, including prominent celebrities, applauded the news of Williams’ appointment on social media, others expressed confusion and even criticism about the choice to replace him with a celebrity rather than a more youthful designer with formal training.
One user stated that “Virgil stood for everything that opened doors.” “This appointment seems strange.”
Williams’ biggest fashion moment may have been the enormous hat he wore to the 2014 Grammy Awards, or, more recently, his divisive teardrop-shaped Tiffany sunglasses with diamond accents.
Yet according to GQ, he has always been a style hero, from the early 2000s when he was the vocalist of N.E.R.D, merging skateboarder attire with hip-hop fashion, to more recent years, when he has embraced womenswear and gender-neutral apparel.
When Williams appeared on the cover of the “New Masculinity” issue of the magazine in 2019 wearing a puffy gown, he explained that it all began with “the ‘I can pull that off’ idea.”
“You wear what you believe fits and looks right on you,” he continued, “when you listen to yourself and you’re secure with who you are.” That’s it, then.
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