Pharrell Williams has declared he was the biggest inspiration for his first Louis Vuitton collection.
The 50-year-old rapper debuted his launch range for the luxury brand in June after being appointed the brand’s creative director of menswear, by turning Paris’ oldest bridge, the Pont Neuf, into a star-studded catwalk.
He told GQ Style about how his personality is central to his design process: “I look at myself like I’m the real customer. So I design for what it is that I want and what I’m going to need.”
Williams landed the coveted LV job after it was offered to him by the luxe brand’s CEO, Pietro Beccari.
The producer and rapper said: “It wasn’t an interview or anything. It was like, ‘Will you accept this position? Will you accept this appointment?’ I’m looking at the water and I’m just like, ‘What?’ ”
Beccari, 56, said about choosing Williams: “It’s the first time someone has had the daringness to pick a real worldwide star to helm a house. He has 13 Grammys and even [an] Oscar nominations. One could say he has a Midas touch. So, as a creative director, while it’s an experiment, I think it will be a successful one.”
Williams titled his first collection for the fashion house “LVERS” in tribute to his roots in Virginia, and before his star-studded June show, performed a test run of his creative concepts for the lush clothing line in Virginia Beach during his annual three-day “Something in the Water” music festival. He offered T-shirts costing $860 and hoodies at $1,310 that would be representative of his LV style.
Williams said: “From Paris to VA, VA to Paris. That’s literally the narrative. All of this is seeding that. It’s a part of my story.”
