Louis Vuitton announced on Tuesday that they are “delighted to welcome Pharrell Williams as its new Men’s Creative Director.”
The brand posted on their social media that Pharrell’s first collection for Louis Vuitton “will be revealed next June during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris.”
The statement continued, “Pharrell Williams is a visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art, and to fashion – establishing himself as a cultural global icon over the past twenty years. The way in which he breaks boundaries across the various worlds he explores, aligns with Louis Vuitton’s status as a Cultural Maison, reinforcing its values of innovation, pioneer spirit, and entrepreneurship.”
This is a major move for the LVMH–owned brand, which has collaborated with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and has tapped into Abloh‘s links to the American music industry and streetwear. Williams has collaborated with other luxury brands, such as Tiffany & Co, Adidas, and Chanel. Louis Vuitton reported record profits for 2022 at the end of January and is the world‘s first $10 billion luxury brand. The appointment of Williams to the group‘s artistic director is expected to further bolster its success.
Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s current Chairman and CEO said via the statement, “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. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”
The 49-year-old native of Virginia Beach, Va., assumes the role previously held by Virgil Abloh, who died in November 2021. Mr. Abloh was the first Black American to be appointed to a head design position at a European luxury house. Mr. Williams, who rose to prominence in the late 1990s as a part of hip-hop production duo the Neptunes, could be the second.
Staying close to the cutting edge of taste from hip hop cultural figures since the appointment of Abloh, a protege of Kanye West, the company’s chairman and CEO Michael Burke, said, “Having followed with great interest Virgil’s ascent since he worked with me at Fendi in 2006, I am thrilled to see how his innate creativity and disruptive approach have made him so relevant, not just in the world of fashion but in popular culture today. His sensibility towards luxury and savoir faire will be instrumental in taking Louis Vuitton’s menswear into the future.”
Abloh was poised to take Vuitton into the future because of the way he appreciates both worlds.
Pharrell was also greatly admire by Virgil who said in a 2017 interview , that “Mr. Williams was one of his five ideal dinner companions.” When the Chicago native fashion icon died, Mr. Williams tweeted out “My heart is broken Virgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius.”
