Hip-hop artist Pharrell Williams has been named the new head of menswear at the prestigious fashion house Louis Vuitton, the company announced on Tuesday.
Pharrell will begin serving as Louis Vuitton’s new Men’s Creative Director with immediate effect, the illustrious brand announced in a statement.
Williams fills the void left by Virgil Abloh’s passing from cancer in November 2021.
The 49-year-old has been a regular in the front row of fashion shows for years and is a well-known superstar in the music industry with 13 Grammy awards and two Oscar nominations.
The fashion house, a division of the LVMH luxury conglomerate, described Pharrell Williams as a visionary whose creative universe ranges from music to art to fashion, solidifying himself as a universal cultural icon over the past 20 years.
In June, during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris, he will debut his first collection for Louis Vuitton.
After working with Pharrell for Louis Vuitton in 2004 and 2008, the fashion house’s CEO, Pietro Beccari, expressed his delight at seeing him return as the new creative director for men.
Without a doubt, “His creative vision beyond fashion will lead Louis Vuitton towards a new, very exciting chapter,” the executive said.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Louis Vuitton’s sales have increased dramatically, and the brand is now valued at over $20 billion, making Bernard Arnault, owner of LVMH, the richest man in the world.
youthful appeal
The French company had been content to continue riding the publicity Abloh’s three-year tenure had produced, using his team and visiting designers for recent shows.
Abloh, who passed away at the age of 41, rose to fame among millennials for his skillfully fusing streetwear and luxury fashion.
One of the most talked-about shows of menswear week in Paris was presented by Louis Vuitton last month. Pop star Rosalia performed at the event, which was run by a group of highly anticipated young designers.
Williams, a member of the hip-hop group The Neptunes who gained fame in the 1990s, was not frequently mentioned in rumors about the position.
However, he is in line with the brand’s recent efforts to appeal to a younger, streetwear-focused clientele, and he and Abloh have similar tastes in skateboarding, art, and music.
He also praised Abloh, writing, “Virgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius your work as a human and your work as a spiritual being will live forever.
He has previously collaborated for specific lines with other clothing companies such as Diesel, Chanel, Moncler, and Adidas.
In 2008, when Marc Jacobs was the brand’s creative director, he partnered with Louis Vuitton to launch a jewelry and eyewear line.
Williams co-founded the Japanese clothing brand Billionaire Boys Club and was named co-owner of the jeans company G-Star Raw in 2016.
