Pharrell Williams is not yet a year into his gig as creative director of Louis Vuitton men’s, and yet in just three collections, he’s taken us on voyages around the globe—from the oldest bridge in Paris to Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong and the American West. This wanderlust-y, world-building aesthetic aligns with the ethos of the brand, he says. “I’ve said this many times, but Vuitton is a world-class travelers brand. It’s a fashion house, but it’s [got] travel DNA,” Williams told Vogue China’s Margaret Zhang and Yiling Pan. The three sat down for a conversation at the Louis Vuitton store in Beijing just before Williams showed his pre-fall collection in Hong Kong. (World-class traveler, indeed!)
Williams likens his role as creative director to being the conductor of a gigantic orchestra, one in which he oversees 55 different departments and 2,500 “peaceful soldiers,” as he calls his team. “It’s my job to make sure that everything is in harmony and to weed out any dissonance.” Sounds a little like the skill set of an award-winning music producer too.
So will the American West aesthetic of ten-gallon hats, Nudie-ish suits, and cowboy boots trickle down to the masses? Vogue Runway’s José Criales-Unzueta weighs in on what from LV, and the rest of the men’s collections, we’ll probably see on the streets soon—yeehaw.
If you liked this interview with Williams, Zhang and Pan’s podcast, Good Morning, Vogue China, is a must-listen. (Zhang is the editor in chief of Vogue China, and Pan covers the business beat.) The podcast is all about the intersection of Chinese culture and fashion, and episodes are released in both English and Mandarin. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Bon voyage.
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