The guessing game is finally over as Louis Vuitton has selected music icon Pharrell Williams to assume the menswear creative director role on Tuesday, as he takes on the role held by the late Virgil Abloh.
Williams is the first person to permanently fill the position following the passing of fashion designer Virgil Abloh.
Despite the roles having different titles, as Abloh was known as the artistic director, they are the same.
Louis Vuitton and the music producer shared the news with the world in a joint Instagram post, which is now the only photo on the Happy artist’s page, with a caption explaining the reason he was the perfect selection to follow after the late Abloh.
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A quote in the press release from Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO, Pietro Beccari, was also included in the caption.
“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,” Beccari said.
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Since his passing, they have hosted fashion shows and activations that paid tribute to the late artistic director but were never in a rush to fill the spot. The fashion brand hasn’t had anyone permanently hold the position since Abloh lost his fight against a rare form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma, in Nov. 2021.
The closest person to play a similar role as a guest creative director, was Colm Dillaneout, the creator of KidSuper, when Louis Vuitton tapped him to help navigate the recent Fall/Winter 2023 menswear collection that debuted at New York Fashion Week according to High Snobiety.
The news may be a surprise but shouldn’t be shocking due to Pharrell’s unique sense of style, his collaborations with other luxury brands like (Chanel, Moncler and Adidas), his undeniable relationship with the culture, and his love for urban streetwear.
In addition, he has experience running, creating and maintaining multiple clothing brands as he is the co-founder of Billionaire Boys Club and ICE CREAM, launched in 2003, which merges streetwear and luxury into a clothing, accessories and lifestyle brand.
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