pharrell williams succeeds virgil abloh as louis vuitton’s new men’s creative director

Pharrell Williams in Louis Vuitton

On Valentine’s day, Louis Vuitton gave a heartwarming gift to its fans: Pharrell Williams is its new Men’s Creative Director effective immediately, succeeding Virgil Abloh. In his recent, and only post, on Instagram, Williams is sporting a Louis Vuitton blanket, a prelude to his impending collection.

The French luxury fashion house describes Williams as a visionary recording artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer, and entrepreneur who has broken barriers between music, art, and fashion. He has built a persona as a cultural icon, and Louis Vuitton believes he will heighten the Maison’s status with his eye for unconventional innovation.

‘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,’ says Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO. William’s first collection for Louis Vuitton will be revealed this June during the Men’s Fashion Week in Paris and in 2021, he even had Virgil Abloh on his podcast to talk about the importance of his Louis Vuitton legacy.

image © designboom | header photo by Erik Ian

Designing for the upcoming Men’s Fashion Week

Pharrell Williams has embarked on the venture as Louis Vuitton’s new Men’s Creative Director. Virgil Abloh, who fused the hip-hop realm with the Maison’s definition of luxury, expanded Louis Vuitton’s collection with visually accessible and relatable design elements that spoke well with the younger audience.

Williams, who has successfully dipped his creative mind and hands in several industries and made visible extensive results such as his 13 Grammy wins, is now brewing a collection to showcase in the upcoming Men’s Fashion Week in Paris. Whether or not he will continue the path Abloh ventured into is still up in the air, but Williams, ever in his multidisciplinary game, is ready to establish and retain his fashion and style signature with Louis Vuitton.

Before his role as Louis Vuittonìs new Men’s Creative Director, Pharrell founded YELLOW in 2019, a non-profit working to even the odds for all youth through education, helping them realize their potential. In 2020, Williams launched Black Ambition, a non-profit initiative that provides a bridge to success for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs who are launching tech, healthcare, Web 3.0 and consumer products and services start-ups.

images courtesy of LVMH | Pharrell Williams is Louis Vuitton’s new Men’s Creative Director