Pharrell Williams named Louis Vuitton creative director

American musician and producer Pharrell Williams has been named Louis Vuitton’s creative director of menswear on Tuesday, the luxury brand said.

The appointment is effective immediately, as Pharrell Williams is already presenting his first collection in June at Paris Men’s Fashion Week, according to a company owned by French group LVMH.

At Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams, 49, will succeed Virgil Abloh, who died in November 2021 at the age of 41.

For the luxury brand, Pharrell Williams is a “visionary” whose creative universe stretches from music, art and fashion, and who has established himself as a “universal cultural icon” over the past twenty years.

“His ability to blur the boundaries between the different universes he explores fits naturally into the cultural dimension of Louis Vuitton,” the company said in a statement.

A musician, songwriter, and producer who spearheaded the Neptunes and NERD, he has long been regarded as an influential figure in fashion as well, thanks to his collaborations with Japanese brands Nigo, Adidas and Chanel.

Pharrell Williams also occasionally collaborated with Louis Vuitton in 2004 and 2008.

The French luxury brand group LVMH, which achieved the highest profit in its history in 2022 at 14,084 million euros, includes brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany, Christian Dior, Bulgari, Kenzo and Moët & Chandon.