Pharrell Williams is the new Louis Vuitton Menswear Creative Director

Pharrell Williams has been appointed as the Creative Director for Louis Vuitton's menswear collection. The famous singer and music producer, known for his hits including Happy and Blurred Lines, has stepped in to fill the shoes of the previous legendary artistic director, designer Virgil Abloh, who died in 2021.

Virgil Abloh was a popular and much-respected black fashion designer who represented and endorsed the blend of streetwear with high-end fashion. His approach included incorporating graffiti art and skateboard culture into his styles and designs.

Who is Pharrell Williams?

Oscar winner and 13-time Grammy award winner Pharrell Williams is perhaps best known for the song Happy, but he is not new to the fashion industry. Williams is familiar with the workings of luxury fashion houses. He has worked and collaborated with both top streetwear and luxury brands. The successful American singer has played an active role in popularising streetwear.

In 2003, Williams co-founded the label Billionaire Boys Club with Nigo, a Japanese fashion designer. He has also been collaborating with Adidas and high-end brands such as Moncler and Chanel.

Williams and Louis Vuitton

Williams’s relationship with Louis Vuitton dates back to 2004, when he collaborated with LV designer Marc Jacobs to design eyewear for the luxury brand.

Pharrell Williams, who has been a judge on the singing competition The Voice, created quite a bit of stir in 2022 when he attended Nigo’s debut fashion show in Paris for the brand Kenzo (owned by LVMH), wearing those bejewelled sunglasses by Tiffany (now a part of the LVMH group). The sunglasses drew a lot of flak for being a copy of a pair of 17th-century Mughal sunglasses put up for auction by Sotheby's in 2021. 

LV and Pop Culture

The decision to have Pharrell Williams head the artistic direction of LV menswear is one of the first big decisions by the brand’s brand-new CEO, Pietro Beccari, who took over as the Chairman and CEO earlier this month. Beccari's new hire furthers the French luxury fashion house’s relationship with music and pop culture.

LV Creative Director’s Pharrell Williams's first menswear collection will be showcased during the Men’s Fashion Week in Paris in June 2023.