Pharrell Williams in the studio. The recording studio is not his usual hangout, and he has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards and an Oscar for Original Song as a successful recording artist, producer and songwriter. Instead, he works in the Parisian design studio of Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury brand with an annual turnover of more than 20 billion euros. In February, Williams was unexpectedly named creative director of the brand’s menswear, a post that had been vacant since the death of his predecessor, Virgil Abloh, in November 2021. male. a black man. Another black man. It’s an honor,” Williams said earnestly. “It’s not a job. This is not a show. It’s a dream. “
Williams has a bit of a Dorian Gray build: he just turned 50, but looks at least 15 years younger. Personally, he is quiet, reserved, precise and exudes calm. Of course, frenzy surrounds him, with entourages tapping away at phones and computers on nearby tables. There’s always been a frenzy around rock stars, and increasingly, fashion designers, who are modern rock stars in their own right.
It all raises an interesting question around the appointment and what it means for the wider fashion world.
Over time, the term of choice for fashion house art leaders has evolved from mere designer (referring to a designer who does the heavy lifting of actually scribbling designs) to creative director (referring to someone who applies a creative vision to a product) and graphic designer. Like going far beyond apparel, maybe the next logical step is producers?
Of course, Williams will create the clothes for Vuitton, but he will also create the fashion shows, images and content. His implicit mission was to create a buzz, to attract as much attention as possible in as many different ways as possible. As he himself said: “It goes beyond the clothes.”
When we talk about the week before his Paris Fashion Week menswear debut, Williams is wearing a T-shirt that says “I Know Nigo,” a reference to the Japanese designer and artist Kenzo who is close to Williams. The director is also for Abloh. Gold grills gleamed on his teeth. His jeans, a preview of a new Louis Vuitton collection, feature an enlarged version of the checkerboard “Damier” pattern, which the luxury brand printed on canvas as an alternative to its monogram.
On the table next to him is a top-of-the-line tote bag Louis Vuitton calls the Speedy, a bestseller whose LV monogram has been repainted a cheery yellow. A pregnant Rihanna holds one of the bags alongside matching blue, green and red versions in Vuitton’s unusual advert, launched five days before the brand’s show During the event, as usual, clothing styles and accessories will debut on the fashion show.
The rest of the collection is being kept under wraps ahead of the show, but Williams talked about inspirations and ideas. He didn’t mention athleisure, suiting, or even fabrics, but spoke broadly about the idea that convenience equals luxury, and about individuality and how it expresses itself. “That’s what I really like about Apple, right? It’s the same phone, but everyone holds it differently,” he said. Comparing the two behemoths, Louis Vuitton and Apple, feels apt because of their instantly recognizable products.
Williams is interested in the notion of ubiquity and counterfeit. In fact, as far as his own memories of Vuitton are concerned, Williams does not refer to the brand’s storied, centuries-old history as a maker of luxury luggage, but rather to the bootleg Vuitton logo he saw, The signs are unconventionally tailored into the suits of rappers such as Run DMC’s Jam Master Jay — designed by Harlem designer Dapper Dan in the 1980s. “Seeing jackets and suits made for your favorite rapper, it’s a big deal,” says Williams.
Williams’ appointment has generally flouted convention — most notably, in the eyes of some, because he has no formal fashion training. Neither did Vivienne Westwood, for example, nor did Raf Simons, Prada’s co-creative director, who trained in industrial design, but Williams’ résumé seemed particularly irritating to those Looking to recruit someone with a more traditional fashion background. “I’m sure some people are going to say, ‘Man, he didn’t go to design school,'” Williams said. “No, I didn’t go to Central Saint Martins. I didn’t go to Juilliard for the music.” He was wearing big dark glasses, but you could feel his eyebrows raised. Still, Williams admits he’s learning on the job here. “I’m always a forever student,” he said. “It’s Fashion University.”
Even without such an education, no one in the fashion world can accuse Williams of being an innocent: he founded two clothing lines: Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, and has a skincare line called Humanrace, And has collaborated with many brands over the past two decades, including Adidas, Chanel, and even Vuitton itself, especially in jewelry and sunglasses design. The latter was his first foray into luxury in 2004, with former Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs and with the aforementioned Nigo.
“Marc Jacobs gifted me the ability to work with him on making sunglasses for the family, which was a game-changer, not just for someone like me, but for the fashion industry as well,” he explained. “It’s never happened before. There have been amazing black designers, a thousand percent, but no musicians, especially the R&B, rap world, have been able to come in, not just wear something, not only Just using something in an editorial, not just being invited to a party show, but coming in and actually being a creative. That’s what Mark did.”
Back in 2008, when Williams collaborated with Louis Vuitton on a jewelry line called Blason, he first collaborated with Louis Vuitton executive vice president of marketing and communications Pietro Beccari, who in 2017 was announced as the brand’s new chairman and CEO. January. Beccari hails from Christian Dior, which quadrupled sales during his five-year tenure as chief executive.
Williams’ appointment is a bold start. In the 18 months since Abloh’s death, his design team has been creating collections in the same spirit, while various designer names have been touted as possible replacements, such as London-based designers Martine Rose and Grace Wales Bonner.
However, Beccari said that for him, the job was always with Williams. I asked about the selection process. “There is no process at all,” Beccari said by phone from Athens, where Vuitton has just presented its latest high jewelry collection. “When I started discussing my role at Louis Vuitton, one of the main topics of discussion I had with Mr. Arnault was assigning the job to Pharrell. He was always on my mind.”
Beccari said the decision was taken in November 2022 with the input of Bernard Arnault and his son Alexandre, also a friend of Williams’. support. He also said the Millionaire sunglasses, first designed by Williams in 2004, are still among the brand’s best-selling products.
Beccari won’t dwell on Vuitton’s future for now — continuing to grow what is already the world’s largest luxury brand is an undeniable challenge. “I came four months ago and I don’t think it’s fair to ask me now. I’ll come back to you,” he said. “It’s definitely something that keeps me up at night: ‘Can I do better?'” He clearly hopes Williams’ menswear makeover will be part of the answer.
Outside the windows of Williams’ studio on Shimbashi Road, Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s giant model appears to have her signature polka dots applied to the building. Vuitton often finds collaborators outside of the fashion world—Yayoi Kusama created two collections between 2003 and 2008, Jeff Koons created a collection, Takashi Murakami created a collection in 2003. Several series were created between 2008 and 2008. “There are as many artists collaborating here as there are designers,” says Williams. “It’s really a people’s brand. I say that adidas a lot because I have that feeling in my heart, but in a different way, it’s a people’s brand.” Unusual statement, but one that echoes Vuitton’s ubiquity and its cross-cultural resonance.
The idea also ties in with Vuitton’s claim to be a “cultural brand” — a term coined way back in February when Williams announced his appointment — that is a meeting point of different disciplines, including but not limited to fashion. It even built a recording studio in Williams’ studio. “So sometimes he’s making music, and he’ll stop and do a fitting,” says Beccari. “It’s like conducting,” Williams said of his role. “It’s a big orchestra; a 55-member orchestra, including 55 heads of different departments, and 2,500 soldiers.” Whedon hopes the result will be a hit.
Be the first to hear about our latest stories – Follow @Financial Times Fashion on instagram