Paris: Louis Vuitton has named Grammy-winning producer, rapper, singer and songwriter Pharrell Williams as its new menswear creative director.
The label described Williams as “a visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art, and to fashion”.
He is also the co-founder of the streetwear brand Billionaire Boys Club.
The Louis Vuitton role was previously held by high-profile designer Virgil Abloh, who died in 2021.
Williams rose to fame in the music business as a producer and singer with hits including Happy and Blurred Lines. He has won 13 Grammy awards and was a judge on the popular singing competition show The Voice.
Happy, written for the animated movie Despicable Me 2, earned Williams one of his two Oscar nominations. His second Academy Award nod came as a producer of best picture nominee Hidden Figures.
Williams also has extensive experience in the fashion industry. He played a role in the rise of streetwear, co-founding the label Billionaire Boys Club with Japanese designer Nigo in 2003, and launching collaborations with Adidas as well as luxury brands Moncler and Chanel. In 2004, he collaborated with Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs, designing eyewear for the label.