When Pharrell Williams unveiled his first collection as Louis Vuitton’s artistic director, succeeding Virgil Abloh, he exceeded expectations. Now, the musician is maintaining momentum with his first campaign for the fashion house, starring Rihanna.
The luxury label released a series of images and a video in promotion of its men’s spring/summer 2024 collection, which showed Rihanna, 35, modeling Williams’ Speedy. The producer’s new iteration of the beloved handbag comes in lively shades like yellow, green and red. The brand explained that the product “represents the union of two everyday icons: a luxury bag founded in codes of reality, embodied by an artist of universal human appeal, according to the official press release.
In one image, Rihanna could be seen carrying the accessories — in different sizes — while rocking a button-up shirt covered in Williams’ reimagined Damier pattern. The “Umbrella” songstress wore the piece open, showing off her growing baby bump. (The hitmaker is expecting her second child with boyfriend ASAP Rocky.) In the campaign film, Rihanna strutted her stuff in a variety of fur coats while holding the bags and a cup of coffee.
Louis Vuitton explained that Rihanna was chosen as talent because she is “a symbol of human empowerment and the quintessential everyday icon.”
While Williams’ work falls in the menswear category, he previously told Vogue that his desire is it to “make things for humans.”
Rihanna and Rocky, 34, were among the many stars that attended Williams’ first Louis Vuitton runway show on Tuesday, June 20. Other guests included Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Zendaya and Kelly Rowland.
Of the capsule, Williams, 50, told Vogue in an interview published on Tuesday, “It’s immersive.”
He continued: “It’s very inspired by the love and support of the people here that I’ve just been blessed to be able to experience over the past 30 years … In the integration of the community, the integration of the air and the integration of the scene: you know, where the show will be held, where the collection will be viewed for the first time … I mean, it really is immersive. Also, I use that word diversity all the time: it is diverse, because my world is diverse.”
In addition to vibrant Speedy bags, the collection featured reinterpreted archive pieces and celebrity models like Pusha T.
Williams’ new role was announced in February. “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,” Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement to CNN earlier this year. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”
