1. Snakeskin Hermès Birkin bag, February 2007
Williams was spotted out and about in New York City accessorising a casual ensemble with a bold snakeskin Hermès Birkin bag. The 49-year-old has never been afraid to experiment with pieces that have traditionally been categorised as womenswear.
The singer paired his unique Birkin – a single bag can retail from US$40,000 to US$500,000 – with blue-washed jeans, trainers, a white puffer jacket and a Billionaire Boys Club baseball cap.
Williams founded Billionaire Boys Club, a luxury streetwear brand, alongside Kenzo’s artistic director Nigo in 2003.
2. Nike snowboarding boots, January 2010
In 2010, Williams stepped out on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet in another eclectic ensemble that featured Nike snowboarding boots.
The rest of the singer’s outfit consisted of baggy jeans, a T-shirt layered beneath a blue flannel, a red vest and a red-rimmed baseball cap.
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But Williams’ eye-catching footwear is what really stole the show. The chunky snowboarding boots were designed in a 2009 collaboration between the artist Arbito, Nike and US snowboarder Danny Kass.
The shoes currently retail on the Sotheby’s website for US$1,000 and feature vivid multicoloured graphics inspired by “the music and psychedelic dreamscape art of the 1970s”.
3. His Minnie and Mickey Mouse hat, November 2011
Williams continued to show his flair for pairing unique items of clothing together while at Miami’s Art Basel festival in 2011. The singer, who also owns a home in Miami, has become an Art Basel regular over the years.
In 2011, he attended the show in a pair of asymmetric Chanel trainers, jean shorts, a flannel shirt, a green shirt and a leather jacket. The look was tied together with a suede moss-green sailor’s hat that featured Minnie and Mickey Mouse pins.
4. Cropped camouflage suit, December 2012
Forget the black-and-white suit: Williams rocked up to a red carpet event for Terry Richardson’s book launch wearing a funky military-printed suit jacket with matching shorts.
5. Gigantic Buffalo hat, January 2014
When Williams stepped out wearing his unique camel-coloured Vivienne Westwood Buffalo hat at the 2014 Grammy Awards, he quickly became the talk of the town.It garnered so much attention that it even inspired a Twitter account that amassed over 12,000 followers. Williams ended up selling it to Arby’s for US$44,100 on eBay just a few months later, according to CNN.
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Williams went on to wear multiple variations of the hat throughout the year. However, nothing was quite as iconic as his first foray into the style at the Grammys.
6. Futuristic short suit, February 2015
The following year, Williams wore a futuristic short suit. According to the Los Angeles Times, Williams’ ensemble was designed by Adidas using 3M light-reflective materials.
When photographed with a flash, his suit went from looking grey to ivory white.
7. The “bellboy” look, February 2015
During his performance, Williams wore a chic bellboy-inspired look with canary-yellow shoes.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Williams described suit shorts as his “thing” before he hit the stage. But this time, the singer paired his signature look with a buttoned-up jacket, an oval brimless hat, white gloves and sparkly yellow shoes.
The ensemble certainly left an impression on the audience. Some viewers went so far as to speculate whether the singer’s outfit was inspired by the bellboy from Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, which was released that year, according to E! News.8. Coordinated leather, September 2021
Williams and his wife Helen Lasichanh, who often coordinate outfits, wore iconic matching leather looks to the 2021 Met Gala.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2013, wore Western-inspired ensembles, which included black leather tops with white stitching, matching pants and cowboy boots with gold toes.
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According to Esquire, Williams confirmed to red carpet host Keke Palmer that his outfit was designed by Karl Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, with whom he had developed a close friendship.9. Leather meets faux fur, February 2023
A week before his new role at Louis Vuitton was announced, Williams arrived at the 2023 Grammys in a ruby-red leather look layered under a faux-fur jacket.
Williams accessorised the look with black platform boots, diamond-rimmed sunglasses and a black baseball cap from Human Made.His Grammys attendance took place just a week before he was formally announced as Louis Vuitton’s new creative director for its menswear line.
“I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new men’s creative director. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter,” Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton chairman and CEO, said in the announcement on the LVMH website.Williams is the second Black American to assume the role. When Louis Vuitton named Abloh its artistic director for menswear in 2018, he became the first Black American to lead a European luxury fashion house. Abloh died in 2021 after battling a rare form of heart cancer.
This article originally appeared on Insider.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kuqKzwLOgp52jZMC1xcueZpydnJqvs7XTsmaaqqSesK2xjmxpamlkaINwhYypn5qqopq5rXnWoqOloZGiwG6uzqWbnqukYrOiv8eipqdlnaS6prrTrGSlp6WewG7C1KKrraeeqHqvsdZmpJ6mo6yyor6MnKmemaSew6Z5w6KpnpukpL9uw86rnGammaCy