It’s no secret that Pharrell Williams is taking over as creative director for L.V (louis Vuitton).
so much has already been said about the decision of the LVMH luxury brand to appoint Pharrell.
The rumors of his appointment started a few days before it was confirmed by the house and Pharrell himself on February 14th via Instagram.
The singer, songwriter, rapper, producer and all round multi-disciplinary artist is expected to debut in June. during men’s fashion week in Paris.
L.V also mentioned that isn’t the first time the pair would be working together creatively.
Regardless, fashion media was torn by the news. is Pharrell a good replacement for the late Virgil Abloh?
we will get into all that and more.
here are 5 things to note about Pharrell Williams taking over at L.V
HE’S NO STRANGER AT L.V
Like we mentioned earlier. this is not the first time Pharrell would be meeting the luxury house.
back in 2004 he and NIGO (the founder of BAPE and current creative director at KENZO). worked on a line of “millionaire” sunglasses under the creative direction of Marc Jacobs. who was the creative director of the Maison at that time.
Pharrell then teamed up with the house yet again in 2008.
this time it was with Camille Miceli (the current artistic director at Pucci). the duo worked on a jewelry collection for L.V.
The collection was coined “Blason jewelry”
HIS EXPERIENCE AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR
in 2005, Pharrell and NIGO teamed up to start the Billionaire boys club and Ice cream brand.
the brand would go on to become a main-stay in streetwear. and be highly revered in early high-end street-ware culture.
Today, Billionaire boys club/ice cream is mentioned in the same breath as supreme and BAPE.
B.B.C/ice cream boast’s a good number of collaborations over the years.
collaborations with celebrities like JAY-Z (who invested in the brand at a point, and then went on to acquire the rights to the brand).
and established athletic/lifestyle brand reebok. on a skate-centric foot ware line for ”ice cream”
all strengthen the brands claim for aiding streetwear’s popularity in high-fashion in the early 2000’s
A CREATIVE DIRECTOR IS NOT A FASHION DESIGNER
During the time of the fashion great’s like Christobal Balenciaga and hubert de Givenchy. the term “creative director” and “fashion designer” could be used interchangeably.
things are different now.
a fashion designer is directly involved with the making of the clothes for a collection. sketching, pattern cutting, fabric selection etc.
the typical fashion designer does not lack any of those skills.
while a creative director primarily gives the brand vision and direction creatively.
deciding the theme for collections, artistic direction and general innovation.
all fall under the role of a creative director in fashion
In contemporary luxury and high-end fashion.
there has been an increase in demand for cultural stakeholders and influential figures for the role of creative director.
brands now recognize the impact such figure heads have on their commercial value.
especially in menswear.
fashion education and design abilities is important but that is secondary.
“can you make us sell?” that is the main question. I mean, it’s a business after all
PHARRELL IS A TASTE MAKER
This article would not be enough to document Pharrell’s achievement in the music and entertainment industry.
he is an undisputed legend.
in 2003, the Neptunes (Pharrell’s producer group) produced 43% of the songs on radio in America.
you see, just like his predecessor, the late Virgil Abloh. Pharrell refuses to be restricted to any discipline or practice.
something L.V highlighted during the announcement of his new role
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.
louis vuitton
Pharrell has an a strong influence in contemporary culture.
his connections in the entertainment and popular scene is something L.V will be looking to harness. as he takes over.
Pharrell’s personal sense of style has always been unique and distinct.
so much so that he was the first male ambassador for luxury giant channel. and has been ranked as one of the most stylish men in the world severally.
As a viral trend maker he is part of the instigators responsible for popularizing skater-wear in high fashion.
and the trend of men wearing pearls as an accessory.
LOUIS VUITTION DESIGN TEAM IS MORE THAN COMPETENT
Many Fashion analysts favored the likes of Grace wales Bonner and Martine rose to replace Virgil at the Maison.
for more than a year after Virgil’s passing. the design team released menswear collections with no creative supervision
till they collaborated with kid super’s Colm Dillane on their FW23 collection earlier this year.
L.V is very successful and is currently thriving commercially
they do not need a radical change or to experiment. Virgil already gave them a blue print that’s working ight now.
what the brand needs is a figure head and visionary to build on what Virgil started.
with all that has been said. there is no reason why Pharrell cannot be that visionary.
His multi-hyphenate persona fits well into the current ethos of the brand.
and what they expect from a creative director right now.
There you have it, 5 things to note as Pharrell takes over at louis Vuitton.
what do you think we’ve left out?
let us know in the comments
