Pharrell Williams Named Next Louis Vuitton Men's Creative Director
Pharrell fills Virgil Abloh’s shoes, 14 months after the former artistic director’s passing.
Update: Louis Vuitton has officially named Pharrell Williams its new Men’s creative director. The French fashion house took to Instagram to confirm earlier reports, stating that Pharrell’s first collection for Louis Vuitton will be revealed next June during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris.
“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 brand wrote on Instagram. “The way in which he breaks boundaries across the various worlds he explores, aligns with Louis Vuitton’s status as a Cultural Maison, reinforcing its values of innovation, pioneer spirit, and entrepreneurship.”
Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO, said, “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 towards a new and very exciting chapter.”
View this post on Instagram
Original Story: Pharrell Williams is currently “in talks” to become the new head of Louis Vuitton Men’s, according to “people familiar with the matter” via the Wall Street Journal. At the time of writing, the announcement has not been made official by Pharrell or Louis Vuitton.
If the rumors are true, Pharrell will become the first menswear director following Virgil Abloh‘s death in November of 2021. Reports did not indicate an exact title for the vacant position, though it is likely that Pharrell will assume Abloh’s previous role as “artistic director” of menswear at the label. The brand has operated for 14 months without a permanent menswear creative director, instead opting to pay tribute to Abloh through its collections.
In January, Louis Vuitton selected KidSuper founder Colm Dillane to co-design the label’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection. Notably, Dillane was the first designer to step into the French Maison’s helm, following Abloh’s death. At the time of the announcement, however, Louis Vuitton clarified that Dillane was only co-creating the collection and that he was not Louis Vuitton Men’s new creative director.
In a statement, the brand said that the FW23 collection was designed by the Louis Vuitton men’s team “with the participation of” Dillane. “In other words, Colm is embedded into the men’s studio,” the house added.
Industry analysts previously speculated that the high seat might be given to an emerging designer, namely Martine Rose, Grace Wales Bonner or Samuel Ross. Pharrell, who was a close associate and friend of Abloh’s, is a wild card, but his potential appointment at the label is not all that unbelievable. It’s worth noting that Pharrell has wiped his Instagram, which could mean that an official announcement is coming soon.
