Multidisciplinary creative Pharrell Williams has been announced as the new creative director of Louis Vuitton’s men’s.
His tenure at the helm of the luxury house commenced effective immediately, with the musician and style savant set to present his first collection for the maison during Paris Men’s Fashion Week in July this year.
Speaking on the appointment Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO, Pietro Beccari, revealed in a press release that the maison is “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,” he added.
The label also revealed that Pharrell’s appointment would align his ability to “break boundaries across the various worlds he explores” with Louis Vuitton’s status as a “cultural Maison, reinforcing its values of innovation, pioneer spirit and entrepreneurship”.
This appointment draws a close to the myriad of discourse and speculation about who would replace the late-Virgil Abloh after his tragic passing in 2021.
Abloh passed away three days before the French house presented their SS/22 show in Miami, which was aptly titled ‘Virgil Was Here’.
Pharrell, whom was close with Abloh, was spotted in the front row at the collection presentation.
However, as fashion fanatics would know, Pharrell was not initially who style savants had speculated would take over the helm of the brand.
Before Kanye West’s anti-Semitic tirade and antics at Paris Fashion Week where he sent models down the runway in shirts adorned with the hate term ‘White Lives Matter’, many suspected that he would be the one to succeed Abloh.
English designer Grace Wales Bonner, known for her vintage inspired menswear line Wales Bonner and coveted collaborations with Adidas, was also rumoured to be considered for the role.
However, it seems after over a year without a leader in the atelier that Louis Vuitton have finally decided to replace the role.
Since Alboh’s passing, the house presented two subsequent men’s collections without a creative director which were mainly inspired by the streetwear codes and imaginative qualities implemented by the late-designer.
Pharrell will undoubtedly bring his own creative flair to the role while remain steadfast in continuing Abloh’s mission of making Louis Vuitton a coveted, pioneering and creatively diverse maison.
But for those unfamiliar with Pharrell’s prowess in the fashion sphere (and may only have a peripheral knowledge of his work aside from his chart-topping singles ‘Happy’ and ‘Get Lucky’), the multi-hyphenated creative has been at the forefront of the industry since the early 2000s.
Pharrell is no stranger to the realm of luxury fashion.
His impressive resume boasts being the the first ever male ambassador for Chanel (and has even walked in their shows), co-creating a streetwear label Human Made with Kenzo creative director Nigo and even collaborating with Tiffany & Co on a pair of custom 18k gold sunglasses emblazoned with diamonds.
As previously mentioned, he has also worked with Louis Vuitton in the past. Namely, to co-design a line of sunglasses with the maison in 2003 when Marc Jacobs was at the helm.
If his past achievements are anything to go by, it’s very clear that Louis Vuitton is in safe hands with Pharrell. Until June…
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