Louis Vuitton picks Pharrell Williams to lead men's designs

French manner marque Louis Vuitton has hired Grammy-winning producer, rapper, vocalist and songwriter Pharrell Williams arsenic its menswear originative director.

The steadfast described Williams arsenic "a visionary whose originative universes grow from euphony to art, and to fashion".

He is besides the co-founder of the streetwear marque Billionaire Boys Club.

The Louis Vuitton relation was antecedently held by high-profile decorator Virgil Abloh, who died successful 2021.

Williams' archetypal postulation for the statement volition beryllium shown astatine the Men's Fashion Week successful Paris successful June.

"I americium gladsome to invited Pharrell backmost home, aft our collaborations successful 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, arsenic our caller Men's Creative Director," Louis Vuitton president and main enforcement Pietro Beccari said successful a statement.

"His originative imaginativeness beyond manner volition undoubtedly pb Louis Vuitton towards a caller and precise breathtaking chapter," Mr Beccari added.

Louis Vuitton is 1 of the world's starring planetary manner houses. It is portion of the luxury goods radical LVMH, which is owned by the world's richest idiosyncratic Bernard Arnault.

Williams has won 13 Grammy Awards and was a justice connected fashionable tv endowment contention The Voice.

He received an Oscar information for the opus Happy which was portion of the soundtrack of the animated movie Despicable Me 2.

Williams co-founded streetwear statement Billionaire Boys Club with Japanese decorator Nigo successful 2003.

He has collaborated with sportswear elephantine Adidas and luxury brands Moncler and Chanel, and worked with Louis Vuitton decorator Marc Jacobs to plan eyewear for the label.

Williams was criticised past twelvemonth erstwhile helium attended a manner amusement wearing a brace of diamond-studded Tiffany sunglasses.

Mr Abloh, who was Williams' predecessor astatine Louis Vuitton, was the laminitis of the Off-White manner brand.

Known for fusing elements of streetwear with precocious manner designs, helium died from crab astatine the property of 41 successful November 2021.

His posthumous last menswear show was built astir an elaborate "Dreamhouse" conception with angels, breakdancing models and a disregard for sex successful the designs.