PARIS: As Paris Fashion Week gets underway on Tuesday, the multi-talented star Pharrell Williams’ debut at Louis Vuitton was the most sought-after event. It was viewed as a pivotal moment in the development of the multi-billion dollar business.
In order to expand on the turn towards US streetwear that enabled the legendary French company record more than 20 billion euros in revenue for the first time last year, the renowned musician, DJ, and producer assumes the role of artistic director, AFP said.
On social media, Williams teased the public by posting a picture of himself in front of the Orsay Museum with a massive billboard of the singer Rihanna, who was significantly pregnant and was carrying several vibrant LV bags.
He is giving us an early taste, said Pierre Alexandre M’Pele, editor of GQ France. “It’s unprecedented for a label at this level — a designer arriving with a first menswear campaign that features a woman… He is giving us an early taste,”
The 50-year-old will have a difficult time replacing Virgil Abloh, the late Kanye West collaborator who brought streetwear-inspired life to Louis Vuitton before unfortunately passing away from illness in 2021.
Williams, however, has long been a red carpet star, famous for daring clothes that go far beyond the typical hip-hop stylings, and for a run of collaborations with Chanel, Moncler, Tiffany, and Louis Vuitton, in addition to other luxury brands.
“Williams has been living in hip-hop, and looking into the future, for more than 20 years, a valuable perspective for a luxury men’s wear world that has already absorbed hip-hop and is hoping to divine what might come next,” the New York Times said upon his selection.
‘Much more creative’
Williams’s entry into the sector occurs at a time when men’s fashion appears to be the more intriguing area of the business.
“Men’s fashion took years to find fertile ground for evolution, but it’s now doing so more visibly than womenswear,” said fashion advisor Pascaline Wilhelm.
She said, “The way gender, masculinity, and femininity are being questioned right now allows it to be much more creative without falling into caricature.”
Burc Akyol, a French-Turkish designer who is participating in official fashion week for the first time and showcasing right before Williams on Tuesday, is one of the newbies making a splash.
After interning at Dior and Balenciaga, he founded his own line in 2018. His sophisticated, non-gender-specific aesthetic has already won over Cardi B and Cate Blanchett.
The concept of non-gendered fashion is being embraced by a number of talented individuals in Paris. At the very least, the clothing is not gender-specific, said M’Pelé.
He said, “Not that this should be seen as entirely a modern phenomenon.” “Many centuries ago, men dressed up and walked in high heels.”
Saint Laurent is one well-known celebrity who won’t be appearing this week.
Although Anthony Vaccarello, the brand’s artistic director, made a surprise appearance at the most recent menswear week in Paris for the first time, he has often opted to avoid the major fashion events and instead present one-off presentations in cities like Berlin, Malibu, and Venice.
Hedi Slimane, the creator of Celine and one of the most significant figures in menswear, like to move at his own pace and will stage his next Paris catwalk show on July 3 a few weeks later than everyone else.
