Pharrell Williams Named New Louis Vuitton Menswear Designer
Image Courtesy: LVMH/Erik Ian
2023 is kicking off with a series of creative director appointment announcements. First, in Milan, Gucci deemed fashion designer Sabato De Sarno as their new Creative Director, succeeding Alessandro Michele. Now in Paris, French fashion house Louis Vuitton has shared who’s their new menswear designer since the loss of Virgil Abloh.
Who is Louis Vuitton menswear designer?
Pharrell Williams is the creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton. The announcement, made on Valentine’s Day 2023 (2/14) from LVMH introduced the rapper, singer, producer, and entrepreneur into his new role effective immediately, debuting his first collection during Paris Fashion Week in June 2023. On the appointment, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari shared, “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.”
Williams will will succeed the late Virgil Abloh who held the title from 2018 until his passing in 2021. Under Abloh, Vuitton menswear undertook a streetwear aesthetic that attracted a younger audience. Highlights from his tenure include his gaudy men’s runway bags designs particularly with the iconic Keepall bag, and his LV x Nike collaborations with the Air Force One. Like Virgil with Off-White, Pharrell, with fashion designer Nigo, founded two brands of his own in 2005, Billionaire Boys Club and ICE CREAM. He also previously partnered with Louis Vuitton in 2004 and 2008 and worked with other luxury brands, including collaborating on collections with Chanel, Adidas and Moncler.
Pharrell Williams' Vuitton appointment makes him the second Black American to be named Creative Director of a European luxury fashion house. On the announcement, Pharrell has over a 20-year relationship with the fashion industry. While his aesthetic isn't foreign to those who love and shop streetwear and luxury, I will never lose my want for a tried and trained cut and sew black designer to hold these prestigious positions. Hypebeast reported back in 2022 that black designer Martine Rose, Grace Wales Bonner and Telfar Clemens were reported front runners for the Creative Director position, but, with the energy Virgil created behind Louis Vuitton, the luxury fashion brand needed a face to revive that momemtum, not a designer that would redefine the Louis Vuitton man.