Multi-award winning musician and fashionista Pharrell Williams has officially joined French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton as their men’s creative director.
His first collection will be revealed in June during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris.
Singer, songwriter and philanthropist, Williams, known for his deep affection for African textiles, takes up the position left vacant after the death of Virgil Abloh, the former artistic director who died of cancer in 2021.
The 13-time Grammy award winner follows in the footsteps of great creatives in the company, most notable being American designer Marc Jacobs.
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. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”
Williams has attended fashion events across Africa, most recently being at a display in Dakar, Senegal which he hailed as one of the best he’s seen.
That particular display was presented by French designer Virginie Viard, the creative boss at Chanel.
In South Africa, the Louis Vuitton brand has grown in popularity with the rise of the black middle class which has swelled to over four million people with a buying power estimated at over R400 billion a year.
As expected, authentic Louis Vuitton stores are found in the country’s shopping meccas for the well-heeled and upper-middle class shoppers in Sandton City and Cape Town’s Victoria Wharf.
Pictured above: Global hitmaker Pharrell Williams joins Louis Vuitton
Image source: @LouisVuitton
