Pharrell Williams Has Big Shoes To Fill As Louis Vuitton's New Top Dog

If you had to name some of the biggest luxury brands in the world, you would probably think of Gucci, Chanel, and of course, Louis Vuitton. Louis Vuitton has been an iconic fashion house for years and has had some of the biggest designers work for them, including Virgil Abloh.

Alboh had a long history of fashion experience prior to working with Louis Vuitton, having created the brand Off-White. His fashion style was unlike any other designer, and Louis Vuitton recognized this. In 2018, Abloh was named artistic director of men's wear at the fashion house. The designer brought a new creative direction to Louis Vuitton that had people highly anticipating every new release. Unfortunately, the designer's life was cut short in 2021 following a difficult two-year experience with an aggressive form of cancer. A statement released on Abloh's Instagram said, "Virgil was driven by his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design." The Illinois native is irreplaceable in the fashion world and has left an undeniable legacy in his work.

The process of finding someone to fill in Abloh's incredible shoes had to be difficult for Louis Vuitton. Taking everything into consideration, the fashion house has officially announced that Pharrell Williams will be stepping into the role Abloh once held.

Pharell Williams is a man of many talents — musician, producer, and now creative director of Louis Vuitton. The fashion house shared the exciting news on social media, writing, "Louis Vuitton is delighted to welcome Pharrell Williams as its new Men's Creative Director." Virgil Abloh previously held the creative director role, so this position must be meaningful to Williams, as he and Abloh were good friends. When the Off-White founder passed away, Williams shared a tribute to his friend on Twitter. He wrote, "My heart is broken. Virgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius. your work as a human and your work as a spiritual being will live forever." The pressure to live up to Abloh is surely weighing on the producer, but Williams will bring his own unique vision to the position.

The 49-year-old has long been adding to his fashion resume, collaborating with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Louis Vuitton in 2004 and 2008. It was evident to Louis Vuitton that not only did Williams have the experience to take on the role, but he also had the eye for it. They said, "Pharrell Williams is a visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art, and to fashion — establishing himself as a cultural global icon over the past twenty years." The Virginia native is probably "Happy" with his new position as his first men's collections will walk the runway this June in Paris, France.