Billionaire Boy: A Timeline of Pharrell Williams’ Ascendance Into a Fashion Icon
Not In Paris is back for its 5th edition. With countless parties, a pop-up store, brand collaborations and exclusive content, it's our biggest one yet. Explore the series here and shop the collection here.
The term “multihyphenate” is thrown around a lot, but in many ways, Pharrell Williams was the blueprint. From his humble Virginia Beach beginnings to his world-conquering career as a producer, singer, and fashion designer, Williams has never seen any limits as to what he can create or achieve.
Since the inception of his career, he’s quietly set trends in both music and fashion: as a member of The Neptunes and N.E.R.D, and as a solo producer and performer, all while founding Billionaire Boys Club and designing for adidas, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. He’s worked with music heavyweights, taken home 13 Grammys, and overseen no less than half a dozen brands throughout the course of his career, even starting his own auction house and nonprofits. Regardless of where you stand on his appointment as creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, there is no denying that Williams has a distinct style.
Ahead of his fashion week debut, revisit the legend’s crucial style moments.
Peak Skateboard P (2002)
By the turn of the millennium, Williams was already nearly a decade into his career as a producer and musician. In 2002, Nelly’s Neptunes-produced single “Hot in Herre” dropped — a pivotal moment in Pharrell’s career. It was also around this time when Pharrell aka Skateboard P (a moniker given to him in high school) truly embarked on his journey of becoming a fashion icon. With an Element tee and loose-fitting denim fit for a skateboarder — which he was — Pharrell incorporated his own unique touches: a pristine, white furry jean jacket, a N.E.R.D-emblazoned trucker hat, diamond studs, and a chunky ring. This mix of high and low was not so out of place in the world of Y2K hip-hop, but it was entirely Pharrell’s own in its execution.
Streetwear 101 (2003)
Pharrell had already mastered the art of contrast at this point in his style journey. Layering a bold and graphic varsity jacket which would soon become his staple over a BAPE camo sweatshirt and matching cap (a brand whose founder, NIGO, has been essential to Pharrell’s fashion journey), juxtaposing them with on a backdrop of a black graphic tee, and accessorized with gold chains and ring, this ‘fit is quintessentially him. Speaking of NIGO and fashion, this was the year the duo linked up, along with Pharrell’s manager Rob Walker, to create Billionaire Boys Club, a clothing company that would cement Pharrell’s place at the forefront of the streetwear movement.
Louis Vuitton x Pharrell Williams Begins (2004)
This year marked Williams’ first-ever high-fashion collaboration with none other than Louis Vuitton. With the luxury house under the helm of Marc Jacobs, the rapper and burgeoning style visionary, along with NIGO, created the iconic gold-detailed, aviator-inspired sunglass collection “Millionaire.” Worn by self-proclaimed Louis Vuitton don Kanye West, their popularity and influence was so undeniable that the shades were re-released three years later in 2007. A decade onward, LV’s creative director of menswear Virgil Abloh revisited them for Spring 2019, naming his squared-off version the “1:1 Millionaires.” Originally retailing at $1,200, the 2004 shades go for around $2,500 today on Grailed.
Standing Out in Psych Camo (2005)
If someone’s going to wear an allover print like it’s nothing, it’s Pharrell circa 2005. On MTV’s TRL, he donned a variation of the classic BAPE hoodie called “Psych Camo” layered over a Billionaire Boys Club T-shirt with loose-fitting jeans and BAPE STA sneakers. And his chain? At the time, it was considered to be one of the biggest, most blinged-out pieces around anyone’s neck, weighing in at nearly a kilo. The N.E.R.D chain by Jacob & Co. was made with 157.58 carats of rubies and colored diamonds, and featured a caricature of the group’s members. It sold at auction on Williams’ own Joopiter platform for $2.184 million in November 2022. At this moment in Pharrell history, the multifaceted creative was solidifying his place as a trendsetter and visionary.
Red-y to Take on the World (2006)
Whether it’s the fact that he’s an Aries or he simply has a penchant for the bold hue, Williams’ love affair with red is ongoing. Case in point: this 2006 look featuring a red Billionaire Boys Club long-sleeve logo tee and hat, denim shorts, and BAPE x Pharrell Roadstas. The musician and fashion icon has also, over all these years, quietly made a case for exposed shins, as we will see later on. This may very well be a peak chain moment for Skateboard P, layering the infamous N.E.R.D chain over a couple of others, with a watch by his entrusted Jacob the Jeweler. There’s a strong commitment to an effortless mix of luxury, with diamonds worth well over six figures and streetwise style courtesy of his BBC and BAPE creations.
Securing the Bag (2007)
A perhaps lesser-known Pharrell Williams look but, nevertheless, iconic, the musician and designer got a lot of mileage out of this Hermès bag in the 2000s. Clarifying on his blog back in 2007, the travel accessory is a custom-made Haut à courroies — the first satchel ever conceived by the French luxury design house in the early 20th century, predating the brand’s popular Birkin. Its original intention was to carry a saddle and riding boots, while Williams’ more likely contained sneakers and hoodies. The bag made waves not only with its purple croc leather, but also due to the fact that Pharrell was one of the first, if not the first man in hip-hop to wear a bag that, at the time, was quite female-coded. He and his bag even made it to the cover of Paper Magazine for its June/July 2008 issue. Pharrell once again set a precedent for not only melding streetwear and luxury, but also blurring gender norms for the sake of self-expression.
“Blason” Bling for Louis Vuitton (2008)
Marking another significant year for Pharrell’s journey with Louis Vuitton, the creative made a new foray into accessory design. This time, with Marc Jacobs still at the helm, Williams designed fine jewelry for the French house’s “Blason” collection. The name of the drop referred to family emblems, or coats of arms, and explored European aristocracy in a modern context. Intricately engraved, statement-making, and set in yellow and white gold with a plethora of diamonds, Pharrell designed the pieces in collaboration with Louis Vuitton’s jewelry consultant Camille Miceli. The same week as the collection launch, Williams was stylishly perched front row at the French maison’s Fall/Winter 2008/2009 menswear show.
Casual Luxury (2011)
Predating Williams’ official Chanel collaboration by eight years, these customized Timberland boots were yet another brilliant example of his harmonious juxtaposition of luxury and the streets. At the time, rumors swirled that there was a partnership with the fashion house in the works, to which Pharrell tweeted: “Nah...just me on my grunge $#!+.” Indeed, this ensemble is quite inspired by a ’90s alt-rock sensibility, with slightly distressed denim shorts, a flannel shirt tied around the waist, and an army green T-shirt; but the pristine leather perfecto jacket and Mickey Mouse–emblazoned military hat made this ’fit entirely his own. The knee-length shorts would become somewhat of a signature for Williams in the 2010s and beyond, as he sported them no matter the context — whether a movie premiere or the Met Gala.
That Hat (2014)
The hat that launched 1,000 memes made its debut at the 2014 Grammys, where Pharrell cleaned up with four awards. In spite of these well-deserved accolades, the hat became a mega talking point well after the award show’s airtime. In a sea of tuxedos and ball gowns, the producer stood out with his prominent headwear and overall casual attire: a red adidas track jacket, a white T-shirt, jeans, and boots. The outfit’s centerpiece was a remake of the Buffalo hat by Vivienne Westwood, first appearing in the British punk designer’s Fall/Winter 1982/1983 collection called “Buffalo Girls (Nostalgia of Mud),” and soon appearing in several breakdancing videos of the era. With this look, Pharrell continued to prove himself as someone with a deep knowledge of the history of both hip-hop and avant-garde fashion.
Pharrell’s adidas Universe (2014–Present)
After collaborations with Reebok and designing sneakers for his own Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream labels, it was only a matter of time before Pharrell linked up with a sneaker giant. The first drop of his partnership with adidas was a trio of bold-colored Stan Smiths and a classic track jacket. Rather than limiting himself to one or two silhouettes, Williams created takes on classics such as the Superstar, Samba, and Ultraboost. He went on to share his unique footwear vision with his Hu iterations, most notably the Hu NMD, which achieved iconic streetwear status when the very limited Chanel x adidas Originals Pharrell Williams Hu NMD appeared at a colette pop-up in 2017. There’s no corner of the adidas universe he hasn’t gotten his hands on — creating hiking, tennis, basketball, and running collections, as well as combining Billionaire Boys Club with the Hu NMD in 2018.
Holy Pharrell at the Met Gala (2018)
At the 2017 Met Gala, Pharrell wore a more casual look of jeans, a flannel shirt, and a leather jacket, letting his wife, Helen Lasichanh, steal the show in a red COMME des GARÇONS onesie straight from the runway. For the 2018 “Heavenly Bodies” theme, the pair coordinated with equally holy looks from Chanel, attending as guests of the brand. A blonde Pharrell wore a black suit with a high-collared white shirt, accessorized with colorful jeweled cross necklaces, white socks, and black patent leather brogues. Skateboard P definitely knows how to get dressed up, but always with his own unique spin to keep things from getting stuffy.
Chanel Capsule Kaleidoscope (2019)
In the years leading up to their official collaboration in 2019, Williams was an excellent ambassador to Chanel: He wrote a song for the fashion house in 2014; his run of 500 pairs of Chanel x adidas Originals Hu NMDboasted a rumored waitlist of over 120,000; and he became the first man to model Chanel’s iconic handbags that same year. Months before their unisex collaboration dropped, Pharrell was invited to walk the runway at Chanel’s Ancient Egypt–inspired Métiers d’art collection in December 2018. “Chanel-Pharrell” became the first-ever capsule collection presented by the brand, and featured colorful clothes and accessories, bringing a streetwear spin to Chanel classics. Pharrell’s version of the flap bag was inflated to an XXL size, hoodies were embroidered, graffitied, and bedazzled, and sneakers were scrawled on, reminiscent of Williams’ own bootleg Timberlands painted with interlocking C’s from 2011. Speaking of the collection, he shared, “The inspiration for this was mainly my wishlist, things that I feel like I’ve always wanted.”
Pharrell Says Farewell (2019)
After working closely over the years with Williams, the longtime creative director of Chanel Karl Lagerfeld passed away in February 2019. At the public “Karl for Ever” tribute to the late designer in June of that year, Pharrell proclaimed Lagerfeld was “the best to ever do it” while performing onstage. Wearing his “Chanel-Pharrell” loafers, the singer went for a schoolboy look with knee-length shorts (his staple), a Human Made blazer and socks, a Richard Mille watch, and a chunky gold chain. If Pharrell’s going to get dressed up, it’s going to be in his own way, and it might involve showing some leg.
Pharrell’s Humanrace (2022)
An extension of his popular adidas footwear line, the multi-disciplinarian launched a unisex loungewear collection in collaboration with adidas in late 2021. In keeping with some of the more casual and cozy looks Williams had been seen sporting in recent years, the collection featured tees, hoodies, sweatpants, and tracksuits. For those wanting to not only dress like Pharrell but self-care like him, too, he notably released his Humanrace skincare line in late 2020. The three-step facial regime featured distinct bright-green packaging and has since expanded to sun and bodycare.
25-Carat Vision (2023)
When Williams showed up at the 2023 Grammys rocking these out-of-this-world, blinged-out sunglasses, it had been over a year since their debut. He revealed they were an official collaboration with Tiffany & Co., boasting 18k gold frames, two inset emeralds, and 61 diamonds totaling over 25 carats around the lenses. While clearly the focal point of his outfit, there’s far more to his ensemble. Coordinating with his wife in matching leather tracksuits by Ernest W. Baker — his red and hers black — he added a brown fur coat and pointed black leather boots, topping it off with a cap from NIGO’s Human Made brand. At the time of writing, there are no further details about his upcoming work with the American luxury jewelry house, aside from Pharrell’s brief statement in 2022 that it’s the “first of many things that I’m gonna do with Tiffany.”
Creative Director of Menswear at Louis Vuitton (2023)
For those unfamiliar with Williams’ deep involvement in the fashion industry, the announcement of his appointment to the position of creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton may have come as a surprise. But to truly know Pharrell is to know he’s a prolific and talented creator. Aside from his prior collaborations with the French luxury fashion house, he’s also worked with Moncler and COMME des GARÇONS, in addition to his ongoing design collaborations with NIGO: Billionaire Boys Club, Ice Cream, and Human Made. Picking up where the late Virgil Abloh left off shouldn’t prove difficult to Pharrell, especially if he takes an approach similar to his Chanel capsule. Of his time working on the collection, he said: “There doesn’t need to be boundaries as long as you can hold on to the heritage and continue to push it.”
