When you’re Pharrell Williams, Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director, it’s hard to be the shining star all the time, but you’ve got to bring it each and every time! I’ve been keeping a close eye on his work, watching where he’s going with all this, because the purpose of a fashion guru is to keep evolving while remaining connected to the style, attitude, and story that your designs tell. No matter how far designers take their collections, they must remain grounded in what distinguishes the brand from all the rest.
Pharrell has a distinct voice, and he’s been at the top of his game, but I’m feeling some kind of way about his latest drop. His other collections have been primarily tributes to icons. Just recall his luxe soccer sneakers, monogram-plastered Timberlands, and material updates to Virgil Abloh’s LV Trainer—each of these collections has served as a beacon, pulling other fashion houses into line. But this round, while wonderful, I just felt like I’d seen them before. And yes, many fans are saying the same thing—that the "smooth-as-butter," round-toed sneaker closely resembles Nike’s classic Cortez model. You can check it out and make up your own mind.
Pharrell, who has named the model ButterSoft on his @skateboard Instagram account, reveals behind-the-scenes looks at his creative process at the French fashion house. The first image appears subtle until your eyes settle, and then you see the Virginia Beach-born designer sitting on a Louis Vuitton trunk in front of 46 different styles of the ButterSoft sneaker, arranged like a painter’s palette.As always, I’m curious to see what Pharrell will come up with next, knowing that he’ll continue to push boundaries and surprise us with his vision.