Pharrell reveals his biggest inspiration for first Louis Vuitton collection is himself

The 50-year-old rapper debuted his launch range for the luxury brand in June after being appointed the brand’s creative director of menswear, by turning Paris’ oldest bridge the Pont Neuf into a star-studded catwalk.

He told GQ Style about how his personality is central to his design process: “I look at myself like I’m the real customer.

“So I design for what it is that I want and what I’m going to need.”

Pharrell landed the coveted LV job after it was offered to him by the luxe brand’s CEO Pietro Beccari.

The producer and rapper said: “It wasn’t an interview or anything. It was like, ‘Will you accept this position? Will you accept this appointment?’

“I’m looking at the water and I’m just like, ‘What?’”

Pietro, 56, said about choosing Pharrell: “It’s the first time someone has had the daringness to pick a real worldwide star to helm a house.

“He has 13 Grammys and even Oscar nominations. One could say he has a Midas touch. So, as a creative director, while it’s an experiment, I think it will be a successful one.”

Pharrell titled his first collection for the fashion house ‘LVERS’ in tribute to his roots in Virginia, and before his star-studded June show, performed a test run of his creative concepts for the lush clothing line in Virginia Beach during his annual three-day ‘Something in the Water’ music festival.

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He offered T-shirts costing $860 (about R16,000) and hoodies at $1,310 that would be representative of his LV style.

Pharrell said: “From Paris to VA, VA to Paris. That’s literally the narrative. All of this is seeding that. It’s a part of my story.”

In a separate chat, Pharrell has revealed he has a recording studio at his clothes design hub to keep himself constantly busy and inspired.

He told The New York Times Style Magazine about how he constantly flits between his music and fashion design: “Being a producer and a creative director are similar. I can go from apparel to drums, from trunks to melodies.

“Within my design studio, I have a section allocated to music, so I go back and forth all day.”

He added about his LV appointment: “It’s like I’m a perpetual student. If I’m the king of anything, it’s the king of being a pupil… being surrounded by so many talented people is the best.

“I mean, I’m an Aries, so I’ve always been super impulsive.

“But without the resources and the people, I’d be just like every other person with a great idea.”