Chanel ambassador, lord of swag, “fashion icon” according to the CFDA. Pharrell Williams did not wait for his appointment as creative director of Louis Vuitton Homme, announced on February 14, 2023, to establish his fashion credibility.
If today popular culture is full of so-called multidisciplinary creatives, his CV is one of the most amazing.
Landing on the front of the stage as a producer and author with The NeptunesPharrell has crossed the border that separated the worlds of hip-hop and luxury, among others, through unique collaborations.
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The career of Pharrell Williams is made of great encounters. One summer when he was only a college student, the native of Virginia Beach befriended a certain Chad Hugo. In 1992, it was with him that he founded The Neptunes. The music group is spotted then propelled by the American artist Teddy Riley who discovers them during a school competition.
The rest is history. Millions of albums sold, 13 Grammys, and productions for the biggest stars, from Jay-Z to Britney Spears.
As he rises on the music scene, Pharrell makes a name for herself in fashion.
Teddy or camouflage hoodie, screwed cap on the bias, and Bermuda shorts: the rapper-producer is adored for his 2.0 skater look which detonates in the hip-hop scene. All eyes are on him and especially on his devastating fashion gimmick: his signed jewelry Jacob The Jewelerwhich was the favorite jeweler of celebrities at the time.
Through Jacob, Pharrell Williams gets to know good luckfounder of Bape and current artistic director of Kenzo, whom he met in Japan in 2003. The two creatives speak the same language and have the same attraction for skate culture -a focus that Pharrell promotes with his NERD group-.
From this symbiosis between the two is born the brand Billionaire Boys Club one year later.
The label laid the foundations of the streetwear trend of the 2000s and Pharrell, now recognized as a true designer, took the opportunity to make his way to luxury.
His first big fashion featuring? A collaboration with Louis Vuitton, for which he created an iconic pair of sunglasses entitled Millionaire. This is his first hit in the modosphere, and far from being the last.
Brands seek him out for his creativity and popularity. The producer thus adds co-creations with consumer brands, from adidas to Uniqlo, and high-end brands like Moncler. The results are always there.
For the artist born in Virginia Beach, art has no limits so in 2014 he even collaborated with Ladurée on the design of a macaroon box sold at colette.
When he is not imagining products, the interpreter of Happy lends his image. Close to Karl Lagerld, Pharrell was invited to the campaign for the Chanel Métiers d’Arts 2014-2015 show before becoming an ambassador for the house on rue Cambon.
2017, the member of The Neptunes becomes the first man to appear in a Chanel women’s leather goods campaign. Named “fashion icon” by the CDA two years earlier, Pharrel Williams became a legend.
Focus on 7 striking fashion collaborations signed Pharrell Williams:
