Louis Vuitton appoints Pharrell Williams Men’s Creative Director
The US musician to lead the French fashion house into a “new and very exciting chapter”.
US musician Pharrell Williams has been appointed the new men’s creative director of Louis Vuitton.
The French fashion house announced Williams’ appointment on Tuesday, with Louis Vuitton chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari saying the entrepreneur would mark a new era for the maison.
“His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter,” he said.
The 49-year-old Grammy winner will show his first collection for the brand in June during Paris Men’s fashion Week.
In a statement the maison praised Williams’ ability to “break boundaries across the various worlds he explores”, a trait which aligned with its “status as a cultural maison, reinforcing its values of innovation, pioneer spirit and entrepreneurship”.
The announcement follows more than a years speculation as to who would take the role following the passing of former creative director of menswear Virgil Abloh in 2021. British designers Grace Wales Bonner, Samuel Ross and Martine Rose were among the frontrunners speculated to take on the prestigious role.
Williams is now the second black American designer in history to hold a creative director position at a luxury French fashion house following Abloh, who took on the role in 2018.
Williams’ relationship with Louis Vuitton spans almost two decades, having collaborated with the luxury brand on accessory ranges in the early 2000s during Marc Jacobs’ time at the helm of the brand.
The producer’s fashion credentials are numerous, having worked with other luxury brands including Chanel and Moncler, as well as street brands such as Adidas.
In 2003 he co-founded his own streetwear label, Billionaire Boys Club, and has co-owned heritage Dutch denim label G-Star RAW since 2016.