Nine in the morning, Barcelona – Paris connection. The latest from Pharrell Williams, “Joy (Unspeakable)”, which in English means joy, inexplicable, appears on Spotify’s global radar of news. It is a collaboration of the singer/songwriter with one of Virginia’s most celebrated choirs, Voices of Fire. The group’s founder, Bishop Ezekiel Williams, is also Pharrell’s uncle. A gospel music theme that deals with reconciling with life and growing in the face of adversity.
Williams just previewed a snippet on social media earlier in the week. He was working on this project when he was offered the position of creative director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line to replace Virgil Abloh, who passed away in November 2021. He rose to the challenge and “JOY” became the official anthem of a a tremendous debut that nobody -even Pharrell himself- could imagine.
The new artistic director of Louis Vuitton chose the historic Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, to present his first spring/summer 2024 collection – an event that caused traffic jams and perimeter closures in a capital already given to chaos. This location embodies a metaphorical connection between Paris and Virginia, his hometown, where he took his first steps.
And if an exceptional location is added to a gospel band, an army of models dressed in the new Pharrell designs and a display of power by the invited stars, the result can not be other than that of pure exhibition. Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Rihanna, A $ AP Rocky, Zendaya, Lewis Hamilton, Kim Kardashian, LeBron James, Tyler the Creator sat in the front row to support his friend, but not before walking around with the scoop of the outfits designed by him.
The composer’s first collection was called LVERS – a nod to his hometown slogan “Virginia is for lovers”, because yes, for Pharrell life is meaningless without love – and focused primarily on tailoring, with garments Relatively elegant cut compared to the extremely baggy looks that characterized Abloh’s LV.
Boxy leather jackets, blazers that are cropped to the waist, and military-inspired long coats printed in the new “Damoflauge”—Damier-patterned camouflage—the true jewel in the crown of Pharrell’s collection. The classic Louis Vuitton checkerboard graphic is reinvented with an 8-bit Atari Damier motif created by a renowned American artist.
“Louis Vuitton’s heritage Damier pattern with camouflage is a reflection of two style domains, one paying homage to his friends in Paris,” the luxury house explains in a statement. Bright colors also take over the collection and are loaded with meaning. In a statement, Pharrell cites the “hustle and bustle” of the bootleggers who run Manhattan’s Canal Street as inspiration for new LV Keepalls and a new adaptation of the Speedy bag.
In short, Pharrell’s first collection is nothing more than an approximation of what can be expected from the future -or imminent present- of Louis Vuitton. The leather jacket with the Louis Vuitton monogram and logo, worn by JAY-Z at the surprise performance and worn earlier on Instagram by Pharrell himself, features the slogan “PUPIL LV KING” on the back and in the middle the name of its owner. This goes far beyond the design or pattern of the model, but rather becoming a member of the select and exquisite group of his influencers. Because yeah, there’s definitely a hot new club in town and everyone wants to get in it. Pharrel’s word.
