How Pharrell Williams Became a music and fashion icon

From music production to entrepreneurship: the different faces of Pharrell Williams

For the past twenty years now, Pharrell Williams has been one of the most influential figures in the music industry with a career that commands respect. The 51-year-old singer and songwriter, who hasn’t aged a day, has shaped the sound of the 2000s. With The Neptune, alongside Chad Hugo, he produced many of the biggest hits of that decade, starting with Britney Spears’ everlasting 2001 song I’m a Slave 4 U.

The artistic style of the duo is instantly recognisable, blending genres drawing from both hip-hop and rock music. The singer of the group N.E.R.D is also known for his unrivaled sense of rhythm and melody, as well as for his prestigious collaborations with artists like Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Gwen Stefani, and Jennifer Lopez. One can hardly resist his sunny track Happy (2013) or his vocal line on the sensual, hedonistic Get Lucky by Daft Punk (2013).

Collaborations with Chanel and Moncler

Yet, the phenomenal success of Pharrell Lanscilo Williams in the music industry has not prevented him from expanding his entrepreneurial ventures from the 2000s onwards, establishing himself as a multi-faceted creative and as a true businessman in pop culture. The artist also worked on the design of sneakers with Nigo, a Japanese record producer and founder of the label A Bathing Ape, who was then appointed artistic director of Kenzo in 2021.

In 2003, Pharrell Williams co-founded the Billionaire Boys Club with the latter, a label that was famous at the time for its collaborations with Timberland, Rebook and Adidas. He then developed ICECREAM, a collection originally dedicated to the design of sneakers, before expanding into clothing and accessories. In addition to these successful labels, the American artist has also collaborated with some of the biggest names in the fashion industry, such as Chanel, Moncler, Tiffany & Co. and Adidas.

Piece by Piece, a Lego biopic recounting the wild journey of Pharrell Williams

The singer’s mind being in constant overdrive, it regularly needs to be stimulated by new projects aside from clothing and accessories. Among other things, he has created design pieces with the gallery owner Perrotin and the editor of contemporary furniture Domeau & Pérès, as well as a liqueur for women. He has also launched Humanrace, his own skincare line, opened The Good Time Hotel in Miami, and bought himself a jewel of luxury hotel – the emblematic Saint-James & Albany in Paris. Final piece in the jigsaw, Piece by Piece is a biographical documentary about his life and career made in a Legos version and released on Wednesday 20th of November

All these strings to his bow have allowed him to breathe new life into the men’s collections as Louis Vuitton’s new creative director.

Pharrell Williams’ first collection for Louis Vuitton unveiled in June 2023

On Tuesday 14th of February, late in the afternoon, the New York Times announced on Twitter that Pharrell Williams was to be appointed new creative director of the men’s collections at Louis Vuitton. The news was quickly picked up by most of the media and took the world of fashion by storm, since everyone was waiting to find out the identity of the new head of the fashion house since Virgil Abloh’s unexpected passing in November 2021.

A few hours later, the House of Louis Vuitton confirmed it – the star singer and producer with his impressive career had indeed joined the French fashion house and was to present his debut men’s collection during the Paris Fashion Week in June 2023. The news came just a few weeks after Louis Vuitton’s latest men’s fashion show, when the fashion house had exceptionally invited KidSuper to design a collection for the occasion.

While the musician’s arrival at Louis Vuitton may have come as a surprise to those expecting a fashion designer to take up the position, his history with the brand goes way back. In 2006, Pharrell Williams and Louis Vuitton collaborated for the first time on the creation of an eyewear collection called Millionaire, featuring pairs of aviator-style designs that were very much on trend at the time. Since then, the American star has remained very close to the French house and has regularly been spotted in the front row of its Parisian runway shows.

The advent of a new era at LVMH after Virgil Abloh

After leading the men’s collection at LVMH for three years, Virgil Abloh has left behind a rich legacy of collaborations and catwalk events that demonstrate how successful and appreciated he was. One can remember his first runway show in the Palais-Royal gardens on June 21st, 2018.

Just like the American designer, who has made a name for himself in both music and fashion with his label Off-White, as well as in art and furniture, or like his collaborator Nigo, who has also joined the LVMH group, Pharrell Williams is following in the footsteps of those who came before him.

Over the course of their careers, the three men have all demonstrated how talented they were when it comes to transcending the boundaries of fashion, artistic forms and material in order to offer an ever more holistic vision of creation. And since his arrival at Louis Vuitton, the American singer and co-president of the 2025 Met Gala will undoubtedly be expanding his vision even further through the French fashion house.

Piece by Piece (2024) by Morgan Neville, in cinemas on 20 November 2024.