The list is short in the pantheon of recording artists/producers who are also fashion-forward, with Virginia hitmaker Pharrell Williams leading the pack. The more visible member of The Neptunes debuted his third Louis Vuitton show on Tuesday to kick off Paris Fashion Week.
Early last year, Pharrell Williams was named the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear, and his latest collection pays homage to the American West. The collection also features a collaboration with Timberland where the traditional “butters” yellow suede features the Louis Vuitton print on the back of the boot tongue.
“First of all, it was an honor to get a chance to do something around the West and Western workwear vibes,” Williams said to GQ after the show. “I feel like when you see cowboys portrayed, you see only a few versions. You never really get to see what some of the original cowboys really look like. They look like us, they look like me, they look Black, they look Native American.”
Williams succeeded Virgil Abloh, who died in November 2021 after significantly impacting streetwear. American musician and fashion entrepreneur Pharrell Williams has been named the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear.
Williams’s Louis Vuitton, spring menswear show, displayed American West outfits as the guiding motif for the catwalk. According to the show notes, “The Louis Vuitton dandy evolves through the American western tradition of dressing up.”
Beginning with traditional Native American drumming, models stormed the runway in cowboy boots dipped with silver embellishments, wide-brimmed cartoonish cowboy hats, denim chaps, and silky western shirts with pointed collars. Williams executes a silent protest of the traditional workman’s fabrics and understated ranch wear.
Handbags were designed by artists of the Dakota and Lakota nations, making them more inclusive by collaborating with Native American communities with limited visibility on the high fashion stage.
Then came the flashy turquoise studs adorning suits and the immediately recognizable Louis Vuitton logos sparkling on sequined jackets. Then there’s the formal wear: suits rimmed with pearls and crystals and accessories like the rebirth of the “Speedy Bag.”
“In moments like this, when you’ve been chosen to do something, the sun is shining on you,” Williams said to Highsnobiety. “The quintessential question that I ask myself all the time, and ask people I care about, is this: ‘Hey, if the sun is shining on you, what would you do with the light?'”
Williams’s journey through fashion started during his musical reign during the Roc-a-Fella Records era of the early 2000s. He first came out with the Billionaire Boys Club / Ice Cream label and collaborations with A Bathing Ape (BAPE) designer Nigo. Those designs were a convergence of skateboard culture and streetwear and cemented Pharrell’s unique animated vision of clothing.
Now, Pharrell is chartering a fashion path for the French luxury brand owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH, the world’s biggest fashion brand. Louis Vuitton opened about 50 temporary stores globally to showcase William’s new merchandise.
Williams’ LV debut occurred at the Pont Neuf in Paris last June. He set it off as a street party with performances by celebrity friends like Jay-Z and himself. The first designs were inspired by the video game Minecraft. The collection wasn’t without controversy, as his crocodile-leather version of Louis Vuitton’s classic Speedy bag has a price tag of $1 million. He reportedly caught shade from PETA, who invited him to tour a crocodile farm to rethink sourcing animal skins.
His second show was in November in Hong Kong, where Hawaiian prints and sailor wear graced the runway and a backdrop of a waterfront promenade that overlooked the city’s skyline after dark.
Williams affiliation is a brand enhancement that the fashion house hopes will reverse the trend of recent weak demand for luxury apparel as the cost of living is rising. LVMH will release annual financial results on Jan. 25, indicating if the trend is reversing.