EVER wondered what it looks like when the world’s first $20 billion (£15.7 billion) luxury company decides to flex? Pharrell Williams did and last night on Paris’s Pont Neuf he found out. After a week of teasing behind the-scenes clips and a billboard campaign starring Rihanna and a coffee, he staged his debut runway show as Louis Vuitton’s new men’s creative director. It was, needless to say, a mega-budget spectacle.
We will get on to the clothes but first, a quick rewind. When news broke in February that the 50-year-old rapper/ producer/entrepreneur had bagged menswear’s top job, there was excitement but also cynicism — namely from the old guard. “What does Pharrell know about design?” scoffed the doubters.
Well, probably enough: he created eyewear and jewellery for LV in 2008; he produced a Chanel capsule with Karl Lagerfeld; and he has worked with Nike, BAPE, Timberland and Adidas. Besides, as he explains: “I didn’t go to Central Saint Martins but, you know, I didn’t go to Juilliard to study music. And I’ve been all right.”
This story is from the June 21, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 21, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'
