Pharrell Williams is Louis Vuitton’s new menswear director, but what other fashion houses has he worked with?

Pharrell Williams must be ‘happy’ as his partnership with Louis Vuitton comes full circle with the record producer being named as the French fashion house’s menswear creative director, after previously working with the brand in 2004 and 2008.

The singer becomes the second Black American designer to take on the role, previously held by Virgil Abloh, who passed away in 2021 following his battle with cancer.

Pharrell was a long-time friend of his predecessor Abloh, and his new appointment ends years of speculation as to who would take on the role that was redesigned by the streetwear designer in 2018.

However, Pharrell’s announcement continues the era of celebrity fashion designers and people can expect to see the Grammy-winning producer’s debut collection at the Men’s Paris Fashion Week show next June.

In light of Pharrell’s appointment, Louis Vuitton issued a statement praising their new menswear creative director as a ‘visionary whose creative universes expand from music, to art, and to fashion.’

While Pharrell rose to fame through his work as a record producer, entering the industry in the early 1990s as part of producer duo The Neptunes, working with the likes of Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani, Pharrell also has undertaken many business ventures focusing on fashion.

Fans may recognise Pharrell from his fashionable outfits, often paired with extravagant eyewear, stylish sneakers and an eclectic choice of hats, and the R&B singer started out his fashion collaborations with a Japanese brand called Nigo in 2005.

Pharrell partnered with the label almost a decade ago, to create the streetwear brand ‘Billionaire’s Boys Club’ and its sub labels including 'Ice Cream' footwear, 'Bee Line' and 'Billionaire’s Girl Club'.

Last year the Japanese streetwear brand, seen on Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bezos and Kanye West, made a revenue between $10 million and $25 million.

Pharrell may have reached ‘Billionaire’ status with Nigo in 2005 when creating the popular streetwear collection, however he collaborated with Nigo and none other than Louis Vuitton the year prior to make a sunglass collection titled ‘Millionaire’.

Keeping his eyes on the prize, Pharrell reunited once again with Louis Vuitton in 2008 to create another series of eyewear and jewellery.

Pharrell’s history with the brand was recognised by Louis Vuitton’s CEO and brand chairman Pietro Beccari when he was appointed as Men’s Artistic Director on Valentine’s Day 2023. Beccari said:

“I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men’s Artistic Director. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”

Now acting as Men’s Artistic Director for LV, Pharrell also holds the same position for an array of other fashion houses including being creative director for street e-commerce brand KarmaloopTV since 2011.

As mentioned, Pharrell has a love for sunglasses and other eyewear, and this passion continued when he signed up for a collection with Moncler in 2013 to make ‘Moncler Lunettes’ which are still on sale to this day, and most recently a 2023 campaign with Tiffany & Co for eyewear.

Other partnerships that have led Pharrell to this point, include a long-time commitment with Adidas from 2014 in which the ‘Hollaback Girl’ producer has released three collections, one of which joined forces with Chanel too (a sneaker in 2017), a collection for UNIQLO and an environmentally-sensitive campaign with jean company G-Star Raw.

Pharrell is a notable spokesperson for climate change, and when collaborating with G-Star Raw, he utilised his own textile company Bionic Raw, to make ‘RAW for the Oceans’ using denim made from plastic recycled from the sea.

Therefore, Pharrell’s expertise and experience in the fashion industry serve as evidence that he did not simply ‘Get Lucky’ to return to Louis Vuitton, but is really a fabulous choice to not only advance the French fashion house’s vision in terms of style but also hopefully sustainability.