Pharrell Williams’ Greatest Fashion Moments (so far…)

On the 14th of February, legendary artist, producer and designer Pharrell Williams was named Louis Vuitton’s new Men’s Creative Director following the untimely passing of Virgil Abloh in 2021. With Williams’ first collection as part of the Parisian fashion house set to release at Paris Fashion Week in 2024, we take a look back at some of his most iconic fashion moments to date: 

N.E.R.D x Nike, 2004 - Before the days of Air YEEZY, Nike’s first official non-athlete collaboration, came the N.E.R.D Nike Dunk. Not seen as an official collaboration due to the extremely limited numbers, the Swoosh and N.E.R.D came together to create a collection limited to just 1,050 pairs as part of their ‘Artist Series’ which also included collaborations with the likes of Halle Berry with the numbered pairs being released through tier 0 Nike vendors. 

The sneaker took the usual 1985 shape of the original Dunk and applies a pebbled reptile-esc finish complete with silver N.E.R.D branding on the heel and tongue matching a bold silver Swoosh wrapping around the medial and lateral sides.

Launching Billionaire Boys Club, 2003 - Founded by Pharrell Williams and A Bathing Ape (BAPE) founder Nigo, Billionaire Boys Club has become synonymous with the streetwear industry, becoming a mainstay from the start. Channelling ideas and characteristics from the American and Japanese streetwear culture, BBC was ideated soon after the duo met when Williams visited Nigo’s studio in 2001/02. 

Boasting a variety of collaborations with the likes of Reebok and adidas, BBC now also encompasses several sister brands including Billionaire Girls Club, Ice Cream and Bee Line. 

N.E.R.D diamond chains, 2006 - Every awards show has its iconic moments, and the 2006 VMA awards were no exception. At the time, BAPE was seeing unrivalled success being worn head to toe by Lil Wayne as well as a young college dropout Kanye West during his backpack era. 

Pulling up to the VMAs in BBC and BAPE, Pharrell and Nigo had already created an instant classic moment. However, it was the trio of enlarged diamond-encrusted chains that Willaims wore that stopped the show, one of which featured the members of N.E.R.D which later sold for over $2 million in 2022.

Pharrell x BAPE, 2006 - With the partnership between BAPEs founder and Pharrell, it was only a matter of time till there was an official collaboration between the two. In 2006, the Pharrell x BAPE BAPESTA was released featuring the artist in BAPE’s ‘Baby Milo’ aesthetic, a miniature cartoon version of the individual depicted.

The collaboration offered three distinct colourways each of which was constructed of bold leather complete with a metallic finish in addition to an air unit in the heel reminiscent of that from the Air Max 93. 

The Vivienne Westwood hat, 2014 - We all remember ‘that hat’. Immortalised at the time the artist’s hit record ‘Happy’ was released, the popularity surrounding the Vivienne Westwood archival design, first released in 1982 and named the ‘Buffalo Hat’, first heated up after images of Wiliams were seen on Twitter in 2014. However, it was the week after the Grammy’s that the infamous headwear gained a huge amount of popularity.

Pharrell x adidas, 2014 - Despite collaborating with the Three stripes in the past, Pharrell Williams first signed an official deal with adidas in 2014. The inaugural collection kept it simple with a set of solid blue, red and black tracksuits in addition to matching Stan Smiths. 

A year later, the duo released the heavily beloved adidas Superstar ‘Supercolour’ collection featuring 50 colours. 9 years on, the collaboration between adidas and Pharrell Williams is still ongoing with a strong focus on the Humanrace NMD. 

Tiffany & Co. sunglasses, 2022 - Tiffany & Co. have been flooding our news feeds over the past couple of weeks thanks to the release of the Tiffany & Co. x Nike Air Force 1. However, the beloved jewellery brand hit the headlines at the start of 2022 when Pharrell attended the KENZO FW22 show, Nigo’s first as their Creative Director, wearing a pair of pear diamond-encrusted sunglasses, detailed with emeralds.

“Tiffany and I are engaged,” Williams told WWD at the event. However, after mass backlash from fashion publications for supposedly copying 17th-century Mughal royal glasses, little has been heard since regarding the possible partnership. 

Becoming Men’s Creative Director at Louis Vuitton, 2023 - One of, if not the, biggest moment in Pharrell Williams’ fashion career. Filling the shoes left behind by Virgil Abloh who most notably released the LV x Nike Air Force 1 with the Parisian fashion house, was never going to be an easy feat. However, Williams’ appointment makes complete sense when looking at the context of his previous work which has consistently impacted culture in a similar way to Abloh.

With the first collection set to be revealed during June’s Paris Fashion Week in 2024, questions immediately come to mind as to what we can expect considering his close connections with BAPE and adidas almost juxtaposing the previous work Virgil Abloh had created. 

For the latest news in sneakers and streetwear, keep it Kick Game.