Pharrell Williams is the new creative director of Louis Vuitton. What does this mean for the brand and why is half the industry unhappy?

Following Virgil Abloh’s death in 2021, the entire fashion industry has been waiting for news as to who will continue his work as creative director of the designer’s Louis Vuitton menswear line. I had to wait at least a year and a half. During this time, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Bianca Saunders and Martin Rose envisioned a prestigious position. Such predictions were made by the most authoritative glossy publications and experts in the industry. But everyone was wrong.

Last night, rumors circulated in the fashion community that the fashion house preferred Pharrell Williams. Talk of an upcoming date intensified when the musician removed all posts on the banned social network (we all know what that means). It didn’t take me long to guess. An hour later, Louis Vuitton made an official statement welcoming the new creative director.

“Pharrell Williams is a visionary who for over 20 years has managed to establish himself as a global cultural icon. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly open a new and very exciting chapter for Louis Vuitton.” We will see the first collection published under the direction of Farrell at Men’s Fashion Week in the summer.

Industry opinion, however, is split over the new creative director. And jokes have already surfaced on the Web that naming someone with the Williams surname is a bad idea (a tip to Matthew Williams, who has been running Givenchy since 2020). Therefore, today we decided to consider the “pro” and “con” positions, and also talk about who Farrell is.

Who and what is he famous for?

Brilliant singer, talented producer, author of legendary hits and fashion designer. I’m almost sure every one of you is familiar with his work. At least with the cult track Happy, whose video has over a billion views. But that’s not the only thing he’s famous for. Pharrell Williams has two Oscar nominations and the same number of Grammy awards. It was Farrell who did singles for Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani and even Britney Spears.

“But what does fashion have to do with it?” – sensor. And we will answer. In addition to all of the above, he is also a designer. 20 years ago, Pharrell Williams launched the Billionaire Boys Club brand with Nigo (now Kenzo’s creative director), who greatly influenced the further development of streetwear. And in 2015 he received the coveted CFDA statuette.

Of course, there was no cooperation. In 2004, Marc Jacobs, then head of Louis Vuitton, suggested to Farrell that he start a collaborative eyewear collection. The success was fascinating. Meanwhile, they were re-released in 2018 at the initiative of Virgil Abloh. A little later, he collaborated with Adidas, Moncler and Nike.

Position “for”

Let’s start with those who perhaps see Farrell as an obvious but very successful candidate. They defend their position by the fact that Louis Vuitton has proven over the past two years that it can successfully exist without a creative director. Therefore, they believe that it is not at all necessary for a brand to rely on a skilled craftsman. The in-house and unaided team is ready to challenge the brand’s DNA and Virgil’s legacy.

But in 20 years, Farrell, who has become a true fashion icon, will be able to bring something fresh and truly new to the luxury brand. So this is very interesting to watch.

Position “against”

Now let’s move on to those who were stunned by the news that Pharrell Williams has been appointed creative director of Louis Vuitton. Most frustrating is that brands are trying to keep up with the media face rather than skilled hands. In other words, the fashion industry is less and less about fashion and more and more about business. Some even start to joke that sooner or later Travis Scott will take a similar position.

But we suggest not judging ahead and giving Farrell a chance to prove himself in a new role. So we are waiting for the article and hope for a cool collection.