Pharrell Williams Has Been Announced As The New Creative Director Of Louis Vuitton's Menswear

Pharrell Williams has been announced as the new creative director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear

A view of the flags on the Louis Vuitton store on New Bond Street, in Mayfair.

Following the death of Virgil Abloh in November 2021, its design team took charge of the following seasons. It included a memorable A/W 2023 show during Paris Fashion Week in January, a collaboration with American designer Colm Dillane from KidSuper. This was a one-time event before appointing a new menswear artistic director for the house.

That successor has now finally been chosen: the two-time Oscar nominee Pharrell Williams, an accomplished multi-hyphenate artist.

Virginia-born Williams, who made it big with The Neptunes in the 90s and has since been a successful musician and producer, is renowned for his signature fashion sense kudos to his close friendship with Nigo. Nigo, the creative director at Kenzo now, was also an essential figure when Williams co-founded Billionaire Boys Club and subsidiary brand Ice Cream (Japanese graphic designer Sk8thing was also an early contributor).

For the past two decades, Williams has been a prominent figure in fashion and design, having attended numerous international fashion weeks and kept a close connection with Chanel. In 2019, he worked especially close to the late Lagerfeld to become Chanel’s first male ambassador and develop a joint clothing line. He was a known supporter of Abloh’s work at Louis Vuitton, expressing his appreciation for the ‘creative genius’ on multiple occasions. Additionally, he participated as a guest judge in the 2011 Wallpaper* Design Awards.

His most recent endeavour is Humanrace, a genderless skincare collection launched this year.

Pharrell Williams has established himself as a cultural leader over the last two decades, constantly pushing boundaries through his music, art, and fashion. These traits resonate with Louis Vuitton’s identity as a pioneering culture-led house underpinned by innovation, ambition, and enterprise.

“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. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter” declared Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s chairman and CEO.

Williams’ inaugural collection for the house will debut during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris in June 2023.