Theorizing the Third Generation of Fashion Designers: The Case of Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton

Abstract

This article delves into the implications of celebrity-driven fashion brands in the 21st century. Initially, it traces the evolution of the first generations of traditional fashion designers from the 19th and 20th centuries, highlighting how designers serve as a simplified reference point, as they aggregate the intricate processes of fashion creation under a public persona. Subsequently, employing a close reading and visual analysis methodology, I examine the case of musician Pharrell Williams in his role as creative director at Louis Vuitton. I argue that celebrities taking on roles as fashion designers represent a new generation in this field. This shift is an inevitable culmination of the “celebrification” that traditional designers have undergone over the years. I further argue that celebrity-driven brands introduce a diverse offering in terms of taste, experience and image. By integrating fashion with entertainment, celebrities enable brands like Louis Vuitton to reorganize as a “Cultural Maison.” These celebrities, outsiders penetrating high-end fashion, exploit the so-called democratic and hybrid logic of social media, and gradually overshadowing the cultural significance of traditional designers, pushing them behind the scenes. This shift challenges and may even redefine our understanding of what constitutes the cultural role of fashion designers.