These were arguably the most visually striking pieces in Pharrell Williams’s debut Louis Vuitton menswear collection in June. Two coats—one knee-length, one cropped in a varsity cut—printed with Technicolor seascapes and the words “The Louis Vuitton Lovers Presents” in a kind of *The Price Is Right–*style font. (RIP Bob Barker!)
On Williams’s twilit runway, these items were worn in tandem by the rapper brothers Pusha T and No Malice, whose joint group, Clipse (on hiatus since 2010), staged a comeback that evening with an all-new song played during the catwalk. The fraternal fashion moment underscored the thesis here: Pusha—@kingpush on Instagram, Terrence Thornton by birth—in particular has had something of a global sartorial renaissance in 2023, including a marquee role in Fear of God’s premiere fashion show in April, a first Met Gala appearance in May, a starring in a Moncler campaign just this month, and more.
Though Pusha’s current fashion emphasis didn’t start in Paris, it was cemented with Louis Vuitton—not only for the high-vis mannequin credentials, but also on account of the rapper’s decades-long relationship with (and understanding of) Williams. In fact, it was Williams, in the 1990s, who was a primary reason for Clipse’s formation. Pusha, Malice, and Williams were all living in Virginia Beach (the brothers were born in New York and had moved there; Williams was born and raised in the East Coast city).
“That was special,” said Pusha over a Zoom call earlier this summer. “Looking at my best friend who has always been a fashion icon. It was like watching all of his greatness come to fruition in full. You have to remember, we actually grew up together. I’ve always seen him take fashion risks. We had a creative bunch of friends and we also had a bunch of friends who were into the streets and into the life. Pharrell was not always understood. He might come out in a certain pair of pants and the guys didn’t get it.”
Pusha pauses for a moment, scanning back into sartorial nostalgia. He brings up a throwback: Polo Ralph Lauren’s Snow Beach capsule collection from 1993. Inspired by the era’s early snowboarding culture, it was graphic and color-block—very noticeable, very ’90s.
“Man, while we were into Polo, wearing Snow Beach because, let’s just say, [Wu-Tang Clan’s] Raekown had on Snow Beach, Pharrell would be wearing an all-metallic bomber. He was always different.”
At Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God event in Hollywood in April, the designer tapped Pusha to perform at his show—the label’s first ever such production. Pusha saw the collection with Lorenzo in advance, and says, “I was like, ‘Man, I got to tell you, Jerry, this is one of the most cohesive and best representations of a brand that I’ve ever seen. It’s intelligent. It’s cozy. It’s luxury.’” Spot on adjectives for Fear of God’s plush minimalism and post-athleisure Californian verve—it lives somewhere in the middle of off-duty and highbrow.
In New York City, Pusha’s Met Gala fit—a double-breasted high-contrast Thom Browne suit—channeled Karl Lagerfeld through its bichrome palette and its pomp and circumstance. “Everything with Thom is just very nipped and tucked and just very sharp,” says Pusha, who also wore the designer at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Out of Milan, Pusha and his brother starred in a Moncler campaign and drop with Billionaire Boys Club, the streetwear brand that’s another of Williams’ ventures.
And back in New York just this week at the US Open, Pusha was seen celebrating Frances Tiafoe’s second round win in a sleek off-white fit (we suspect it was Fear of God), head-to-toe, with the only accentuation being diamonds on the wrists and neck. He’s also a big personal fan of the labels Bode (“I’m not really into bold colors all the time, and Bode’s shit is so fresh”) and Dries Van Noten. “I like that Dries does a lot of embellishments. I like it because it gives a very royal feel.”
It should be said, though, that Pusha’s stylistic amplification is clearly palpable in 2023, but his appreciation for the fashion game has been long-standing.
“I would say that fashion has always been a part of my DNA,” Pusha says. “That’s a part of hip hop to me. I’ve never looked at hip hop as just rapping. It’s also about knowing what the fresh kicks were [and are], coming outside with the fresh fits.” He then adds, insightfully: “It always kept everyone very competitive, and I always looked at this as part of hip hop’s entirety. I’ve never separated fashion from the music.”