Ever wondered what it looks like when the world’s first $20 billion (£15.7bn) luxury company decides to flex? Pharrell Williams did and last night on the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris he found out. After a week of teasing behind-the-scenes clips and a billboard campaign starring Rihanna and a takeout coffee, he staged his debut runway show as Louis Vuitton’s new men’s creative director. It was, needless to say, a mega-budget spectacle.
We’ll get on to the clothes but first, a quick rewind. When news broke in February that the rapper/producer/entrepreneur/youngest-looking-50-year-old had bagged menswear’s top job, there was excitement but also some cynicism, namely from fashion’s snooty old guard. “What does Pharrell know about design?” scoffed the doubters. Well, probably enough: he created eyewear and jewellery for Louis Vuitton in 2008; he produced a Chanel capsule with Karl Lagerfeld; and he’s worked with Nike, BAPE, Timberland and Adidas. Besides, as he explains: “I didn’t go to Central St Martins but, you know, I didn’t go to Juillards to study music. And I’ve been alright.”
