Antoine Arnault, Pharrell Williams and Yves Carcelle attend a Louis Vuitton fashion show in June 2010
(Picture: Getty Images)Pharrell Williams has been named as creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear.
The role — one of the biggest in fashion — has been vacant since Virgil Abloh died in November 2021 after a two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma. Abloh left an impressive legacy at the brand and some large boots to fill — and the appointment of Williams ends months of speculation about who the luxury French house deemed up to the task.
Other names thought to be in the running were British designers Grace Wales Bonner and Martine Rose, as well as Telfar Clemens and Colm Dillane. A multimedia artist and entertainer behind the hybrid art brand KidSuper, Dillane was Louis Vuitton’s first menswear guest designer last month.
Louis Vuitton said of Williams’s appointment that he is a “visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art, and to fashion. 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”.
Louis Vuitton is delighted to welcome @Pharrell as its new Men’s Creative Director. His first collection for Louis Vuitton will be revealed next June during Men's Fashion Week in Paris. #LouisVuitton #PharrellWilliams pic.twitter.com/GRCQFfOAHK
— Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) February 14, 2023
“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,” Louis Vuitton’s new CEO, Pietro Beccari, said. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”
It’s only the second time a black American designer has been given the top position at the French luxury brand — Abloh was the first when he was appointed in March 2018.
For some, Williams is perhaps not an obvious choice for the role. However, the multi-hyphenate, who was the first male ambassador for Chanel, has a clear passion for fashion. He co-owns luxury streetwear labels Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream (which he founded with Kenzo’s now-creative director Nigo in 2003) and so has experience of creating buzzy menswear.
He’s also forged a relationship with LVMH via a recent sunglasses collaboration with Tiffany, another brand within its stable. More recently, the musician moved into the beauty game with gender neutral brand Humanrace in 2020.
Williams’s first collection for Louis Vuitton will be revealed in June 2024 during men’s fashion week in Paris.
