Why Pharrell's Louis Vuitton Appointment Has Divided Fashion

In 1917, a relatively unknown artist Marcel Duchamp changed the trajectory of art indefinitely with his urinal installation Fountain signed 'R.Mutt, 1917', a piece submitted to the Society of Independent Artists’ salon in New York. Sending a ripple of shockwaves across the world, the installation divided not only the art world but the average citizen, both of whom were forced into questioning the meaning of art one thousand times over. Just like that, Duchamp had broken the system and established a radically new vision that spat in the face of stuffy hard-nosed critics, making way for movements such as Dadaism to break free; where many - under the general direction of the mad and genius Hugo Ball - took to destructing art's stuffiness too, rewriting the rules of art's place in society with their own language.

Fast forward 101 years later and Duchamp's vehement questioning of creativity was being mirrored by those looking to loosely follow in his footsteps. 2018 was the year Virgil Abloh was appointed creative director of Louis Vuitton and the decision to appoint the OFF-WHITE designer divided the industry. Abloh once called Duchamp his 'lawyer', continually taking the idea of the readymade to subvert and surprise across art, product and fashion design. The backlash was also partially to blame for the industry's uproar at the news of a changing guard in the higher echelons of fashion, but Abloh quickly won many of his critics over. Sadly, Abloh's tenure was cut short when the creative polymath died of cancer at the end 2021, ensuing a public outpour of grief.

For the better half of a year, whispers swirled that led many people to think all roads were leading to the appointment of either Martine Rose or Grace Wales Bonner - both talents that boast intellect and style. So the industry was somewhat surprised to hear the news on Tuesday night that musician Pharrell will be the man to take the reigns of Louis Vuitton menswear. Divided opinions scrambled to weigh in their personal thoughts on the controversial move.

However, the answers as to why LVMH's chief executive Bernard Arnault and newly appointed CEO Pietro Beccari have chosen such a candidate lie in the very same reason for fashion's agitation. Fashion has quite the reputation for not being accustomed to change and if we can all be sure about one thing, it's that the role of the creative director as we know it, is changing, for better or for worse. Louis Vuitton decided on this unique 'curator vs designer' leadership with Abloh's appointment five years ago, it's fair to say they refuse to be steered off route with the late designer's successor.

Students may find themselves hard-pressed to believe a creative director isn't a designer anymore but for the majority of fashion houses, that news is as true as can be. Once you get your head around the idea that a creative director is an acting conductor of a fashion house, leading a team of seamstresses, pattern cutters and designers on the ground instead of doing, let alone understanding, the physical work themselves - like Martine Rose or Wales Bonner does - it's clear that an appointment of the latter would have perhaps gone to waste.

Does Pharrell even need to know how to make clothes? Vuitton's decision has answered the question for us. Think of Kim Jones at Dior Men's. The man may have a Master's degree in fashion from Central Saint Martins, but his success at Dior and Vuitton before that, came largely from his skills as a cultural curator. After all, artistic vision is not necessarily taught at fashion school.

Pharrell is a music producer and, in case you've forgotten, came from the same streetwear background circa 2010s as Abloh did. Pharrell is now being asked to take up the same 'sampling' approach akin to music and seen in Abloh's work. This isn't about innovative design, it's about sampling and curating cultural ideas, responding to the zeitgeist through sheer creation. This is about marketing and money.

We will leave you with a timely quote from 1 Granary summing up the direction fashion is clearly heading in. 'If the Rhianna Bowl hadn't convinced you yet. Then Pharrell at Louis Vuitton surely will: the lines between media, entertainment, and business aren't just blurred. They no longer exist. Artists use performances to sell product to a global audience and luxury houses hire influential creators to solidify their brand with one goal in mind: market domination.'

Louis Vuitton chose this direction years ago, and Pharrell's recent appointment means they are very much sticking to it, whether people like it or not.