Louis Vuitton Names Pharrell Williams As New Men's Creative Director
Fashion lovers better get “Happy.” Louis Vuitton just named fashion-forward music icon Pharrell Williams as its new Men’s Creative Director.
The 13-time Grammy winner will unveil his first collection with the legendary French house in June of this year, during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris, LV’s hometown and headquarters.
"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,” Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton's Chairman and CEO, says in a press release. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter."
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The appointment sees the producer, rapper, singer and songwriter fill the role previously held by the late Virgil Abloh. Pharrell’s predecessor was also intrinsically linked with the world of music, while his career helped close the gap between streetwear and luxury fashion, inspiring a generation of creative thinkers and style seekers to shine brighter in their unique and modern approach.
Williams is a wonderful addition to the LV community and a worthy successor to the endeavor, as his work has long inspired the same message of authenticity and originality.
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He rose to prominence some 20 years ago as one half of the hip-hop production duo The Neptunes, creating now-classic hits for rap legends Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Kelis, Lupe Fiasco, Clipse, Busta Rhymes and more. The Neptunes also released original material, and later, Williams did the same with his genre-fusing rock band N.E.R.D.
In the last decade, Williams solidified himself as a solo star, too, collaborating with Daft Punk on the major hit “Get Lucky” and winning Oscars and Emmys for his musical contributions to Despicable Me 2 and Hidden Figures.
In the world of fashion, he’s long led trends with his Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream apparel brands. In line with Abloh’s life mission, BBC and Ice Cream elevate traditional urban wear pieces, from jeans and hoodies to t-shirts and baseball caps, with vibrant prints that speak to pop culture and the radical act of uplifting oneself from the gutter to the stars.
In 2019, Williams pushed his work as a designer into the hospitality realm, collaborating with Miami club-owner-turned-developer David Grutman on the Swan restaurant and Bar Bevy in that city’s Design District. The pair followed that in 2021 with the opening of The Goodtime Hotel.
Williams has made no public comment yet about his recent appointment to the Louis Vuitton team, but we can be sure he’s already hard at work crafting a visionary approach to the brand’s long-standing legacy of thoughtful design, groundbreaking style and French technique.
Visit louisvuitton.com to shop the brand’s existing collections and stay up to date on the latest happenings.
