American musician and producer Pharrell Williams has been officially named as Louis Vuitton’s creative director for its men’swear line.
The luxury clothing brand announced Williams’ takeover via Instagram last Wednesday, where it also revealed that the rapper's first collection under the brand will be part of Men’s Fashion Week to be held in Paris this coming June.
“Pharrell Williams is a visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art, and to fashion – establishing himself as a cultural global icon over the past twenty years,” the post wrote.
This decision comes 16 months after the sudden passing of the Off-White founder Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton’s previous men’s wear designer. Before the announcement, Grace Wales Bonner, Martine Rose, Telfar Clemens and Colm Dillane were among the designers speculated to have been the successor of Abloh.
In the end, Williams got the creative director role which is also considered to be Pietro Beccari’s first major move since becoming Louis Vuitton’s new chief executive last month.
“I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new men’s artistic director. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton toward a new and very exciting chapter,” Beccari wrote in the brand’s Instagram post.
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Williams, an icon in both the music and fashion industry, has worked with multiple high-profile brands over the years, releasing several collections with adidas originals and becoming the first male ambassador for Chanel in its pre-fall campaign in 2015 and again in 2017.