On Tuesday evening, Pharrell Williams’ entire Instagram account was suddenly empty. A little later, one new message appeared: the American pop star had been appointed as the new creative director of Louis Vuitton’s men’s line. He will succeed Virgil Abloh, who died of cancer in November 2021 at the age of 41.
Williams (49) became known at the beginning of this century as lead singer of N * E * R * D and produced a number of big hits as half of The Neptunes – for Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé, among others. His three solo albums included his monster hit Happy from 2013.
But he has also been involved in fashion for 20 years. In 2003, he founded fashion brand Billionaire Boys Club with Nigo (now creative director of Kenzo). He had his own line at G-Star and in 2016 also became co-owner of the Dutch jeans brand (although little has been heard of it since then). He entered into collaborations with Chanel, Moncler, Adidas, Tiffany & Co. and Uniqlo, and designed sunglasses for Louis Vuitton in 2004 and 2008.
Big names
Williams’ appointment illustrates the difference between the two largest fashion conglomerates. At Kering (Balenciaga, Gucci, Saint Laurent) in recent years, unknown designers who have spent decades toiling behind the scenes have been promoted to creative director. Just last month: Sabato De Sarno at Gucci. LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi) opts for big, well-known names whose appointments cause quite a stir.
This also applied to Williams’ predecessor Virgil Abloh (appointed in 2018). He never went to fashion school, worked with Kanye West for years, and designed rugs for Ikea as much as clothes. “I am not a designer. That is a term for traditionalists,” he once said in an interview with fashion site Business or Fashion. With his mix of high-end fashion and streetwear, he managed to attract a younger and more diverse audience to Louis Vuitton.
Williams’ first show will take place in June during men’s fashion week in Paris.