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FASHION

A New Era of Louis Vuitton: Welcome Pharrell Williams
By: Stella Ringblom

Lil
Sophia Anastasakis, Editorial Executive
Eleanor Unsworth, Business Editor

It’s time to welcome Pharrell Williams to Louis Vuitton’s men’s team! Pharrell Williams is a known American rapper, singer, songwriter, and fashion designer. Williams’s fashion career took off when his brand, Humanrace, collaborated with Adidas, producing the NMD sneakers. Along with Adidas, he’s previously worked with Louis Vuitton. In 2008, Williams was the co-designer of a line of glasses and jewelry, which is ultimately one of the many reasons he was considered a candidate for this position. The company also considered Jamaican designer Grace Wales Bonner, who was rumored to be the front-runner for the role, as were British designer Samuel Ross and LOEWE creative director J.W. Anderson.  

 

Williams will take over Virgil Abloh’s position as a creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton. Abloh was also the founder and owner of Off-White until he passed away from cancer in 2021, leading Louis Vuitton to seek another designer to fill his position. 

 

In addition to his work with Louis Vuitton, Williams’ recent fashion works include a fragrance with Comme des Garcons, a line of luxury locomotive-inspired handbags with Moynat, and a limited-edition set of macarons with Laudurée and Colette. He’s often collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director at Chanel, and also has a sunglass collection with Tiffany and Co. on the way. 

 

On Louis Vuitton’s Instagram, their CEO, Pietro Beccari, announced “his creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.” The company described Williams as a “cultural global icon” and “visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art, and to fashion,” making him the ideal choice to continue Louis Vuitton’s status as a “cultural maison” who will  reinforce its values of “innovation, pioneer spirit and entrepreneurship.” Although Williams blew up in the music industry, he’s also made a name for himself in fashion. Williams is known for setting the bar high when inventing new trends. 

 

Even though many commonly see Louis Vuitton as a classic and almost “bland” brand, after Virgil Abloh took over as creative director in 2018, their accessories and clothing went from classic to statement pieces. Instead of just the classic black and brown aesthetic, he started incorporating prints and color. 

Some speculate that Williams was chosen not only for his name and talent, but also because Louis Vuitton wants to stay trendy. 

 

This new role will be an opportunity for him to prove himself as a designer. Williams will take on a lot of responsibility. He needs to produce two collections a year, including bags, accessories, and ready-to-wear clothing. His first collection for the fashion house will debut in June at Men's Fashion Week in Paris. I find a huge difference between setting trends versus being qualified enough to make a collection of clothing and accessories. I won't be surprised if the collection he releases is phenomenal because he's educated in the fashion industry. 

 

Despite this, I'm primarily skeptical because this is the first time he's had a position as big as this one. Louis Vuitton is taking a huge risk by bringing Williams on the team, but regardless, Louis Vuitton has existed for decades. Even if Williams’s collection isn't a success, they won’t necessarily lose customers because they’re Louis Vuitton. I'm intrigued to see what Williams has up his sleeves, and I hope it's a success for both his and the company's sake.







 

Source: https://www.famousfashiondesigners.org/pharrell-williams

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/02/14/pharrell-williams-louis-vuitton/

Source: https://andscape.com/features/pharrell-williams-brings-a-long-history-of-fashion-collaborations-to-his-new-role-at-louis-vuitton/

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