Tyler, the Creator has designed a capsule collection for Louis Vuitton.
The 32-year-old rapper was invited by Pharrell Williams, the brand’s creative director of menswear, to be part of his first stand-alone collaboration, with the line of clothing and accessories featuring everything from a silk pocket square and a fleece jacket to a cereal bowl and a special edition Courrier Lozine 110 trunk, the most expensive product in the range, retailing at 68,000 euros.
The items all feature Tyler’s hand drawn take on the fashion house’s monogram motif, dubbed the Craggy Monogram, and many references to pastries, including an eclair-shaped clip-on pouch and a Waffle slide in chocolate, pistachio or custard leather.
“Tyler has been my close friend and collaborator for years. I admire his eye and we’ve always connected on music, fashion and jewelery. He doesn’t shy away from doing something interesting and different,” Williams told WWD in an email interview.
“Tyler already had a strong relationship with the maison when Virgil was here, and this spring collection intentionally builds on this and strengthens our LVers community of incredible minds and artists who understand our vision and appreciate the history and Virgil’s impact like Tyler does,” he added.
The line hits stores on March 21 and is described by Louis Vuitton as “an instinctive union” between Tyler’s “signature preppy sophistication” and the “elegant dandy dressing” established by Williams since he joined the brand.
“Everything that Tyler does is thoughtful and authentic. We’ve done something completely new with this project that merges our two worlds and the outcome is uniquely LV. This collection fuses our vision with Tyler’s universe through the codes of Louis Vuitton,” Williams said.
Tyler and Williams have collaborated on music in the past, and the N.E.R.D. star didn’t see working together in fashion as being much different.
“It’s still a collaboration at the end of the day, right? Whether you’re in the music studio writing lyrics and testing different sounds or you’re in the showroom discussing sketches and fabrics, it still involves us coming together to create something new and beautiful. It’s equally as rewarding and I’m constantly wowed by his process and what he creates,” Williams said.
