Following a Wall Street Journal article, Louis Vuitton announced on Tuesday that multi-hyphenate singer and businessman Pharrell Williams will take over as the brand’s new artistic director of menswear.
His first collection will make its premiere in June during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris, and the appointment is effective immediately. “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,” said Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s chairman and CEO in a statement. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”
Since Virgil Abloh’s passing in November 2021, one of fashion’s most prominent openings has remained unfilled. Designers Martine Rose, Grace Wales Bonner, Samuel Ross, and Jonathan Anderson are just a few of the names that have been floated for the post. As a collaborator on Louis Vuitton’s Autumn/Winter 2023 collection, KidSuper founder Colm Dillane is also rumored to be in the race.
Williams is not new to the world of fashion. He founded the streetwear labels Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, is a co-owner of G-Star Raw Denim, and co-owns Human Made alongside Nigo, creative director of Kenzo. He also frequently collaborates with Tiffany & Co. With the gender-neutral brand Humanrace, the entrepreneur entered the beauty industry in 2021. He has also been a close friend of Chanel for a long time and was the late Karl Lagerfeld’s muse. He recently attended the Métiers d’art exhibition in Dakar. He also went to the Off-White presentation in Paris in February.
It is Pietro Beccari’s first significant choice since taking over as CEO of the top luxury company in the world on February 1st from outgoing CEO Michael Burke.
