Pharrell Williams On His Vision for Louis Vuitton

BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with the men's creative director of Louis Vuitton to discuss his journey into the luxury industry and his plans for the world’s largest luxury brand.

Background:

Pharrell Williams has been part of the global cultural consciousness for the better part of two decades as a rapper, songwriter and music producer. But earlier this year, when he was named men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton, his career took on a whole new trajectory. 

This week on The BoF Podcast, Williams joins BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed to discuss his new vision for luxury at Louis Vuitton as part of a BoF 500 cover story, examining his journey into the luxury industry, his vision for Louis Vuitton and how he is thinking about stepping into the shoes of his predecessor Virgil Abloh.

“He has giant shoes for one to try to fill. But that's not what I'm here to do. I'm not here to fill my brother's shoes. My brother's shoes are his shoes. And the steps that he took are his steps. And I would never want to get in the way of that.” 

Key Insights: 

• Williams is approaching the design process from the point of view of a customer. “When I got here, I was so excited and I knew all the things that I wanted to do because I am the consumer,” he says. “I know what it is that I'm looking for so I design from the lenses of what it is that I'm going to need.”

• Williams has his eye on expanding the Louis Vuitton brand, not just in terms of sales volume, but also the brand’s core values and who it aligns itself with, hinting at forming new partnerships. “Growth is not just in sales growth, it’s also growth in perspective,” he says. 

• At the core of Williams’ mission is to make Louis Vuitton menswear centred around people, both its customers and those who work for the brand. “The material items that we offer are important, and these are beautiful objects, but they are the result of something more valuable, which is the humans and their ideas that work here … that's what you're buying.”

• For those looking to find their own creative path , Williams’ advice is simple. “When you see a block, there's a way around it…Curiosity is going to be the fuel to help you do that,” he explains. “And don't look back. For what? You can see how far you come later.”

Additional Resources:

• Pharrell Williams: The Future of Luxury Is ‘Freedom’
• Louis Vuitton’s CEO Answers Key Questions on Pharrell’s Debut
• Pharrell at Louis Vuitton: When Fashion Became Entertainment
• Pharrell at Louis Vuitton: Has Luxury Outgrown Fashion?

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