New Names Old Ways?

With the announcement of Pharrell Williams as Louis Vuitton's latest menswear creative director sparking heated discussions on the role of a creative director, Men's Folio explore the ups-and-downs that comes with a celebrity hire and what that represents for the largest fashion Houses of today.

- Manfred Lu

When it was announced that musician and celebrity entrepreneur Pharrell Williams would lead operations for menswear at Louis Vuitton as the French Maison's latest creative director, the reactions were divided. It had drawn massive criticism by the time it escalated on social media, and debates amongst disappointed and excited fashion adversaries were heated - to say the least. The exchanges were divided into two factions: one citing the announcement as troubling news to grasp, seeing that Williams might be "unqualified", while the other saw the potential of Williams' influence on Louis Vuitton. Between the noise, however, both sides agree on one thing that the announcement was inevitable.

Williams' appointment puts the term "creative director" in a unique position. During the weeks leading up to it, the rumours surrounding the French Maison's replacement for the late-Virgil Abloh placed their faith in rising British designers Martine Rose and Grace Wales Bonner as the most suitable candidates. It made sense. If Louis Vuitton considered replicating Abloh's previous culturally-led success, Rose and Bonner - black designers with an "underground" design pedigree were their most obvious choices. What can Williams - known for radio-friendly pop hits "Happy" and "Get Lucky", much less sewing shirts or crafting leather bags - bring to the table that neither designer might be able to? The answer is pretty simple. It provides a sense of culture, which is essential, especially when it can be instant, digestible and just like Williams' hit songs be far-reaching and memorable.