Just like anyone else, I wore both [designer clothing and streetwear],” he notes, shaking his head. “It’s not like I discovered anything. We just did a whole lot of arguing [with those in high fashion] to get people to see that they were putting these partitions up. If you look at what pop culture was doing on its own, beyond what you could get at a retail store or a boutique, everyone was always mixing it up.”

In years since, Williams has returned to his dapper streetwear origins, thriving in the sweet spot between Bape and Chanel. Even the risky stuff he’s done since then, like his Chanel tuxedo in 2017, doesn’t have the same sense of improbability as his Arby’s-and-Adidas signature. On his own, Pharrell collaborated with Louis Vuitton in 2004 and 2008 for a line of eyewear and jewelry, and in 2014 he inked a long-term, ongoing deal with Adidas. Pharrell’s relationship with the German sportswear giant took another form in 2021 when his skincare brand, Humanrace, started teaming up with Adidas Originals for clothing collections.As long as [companies] are peopled by humans, there’s always that opportunity [for authenticity]. When that doesn’t happen, it’ll hurt your [brand],” he says. “We’re human beings. Human meaning flesh, being meaning spirit. As long as we have that, there is the opportunity for growth and elevation.” At 49, Williams could reasonably be thought of as one of hip-hop’s elder statesmen. Like Jay-Z, who is three years older, he radiates the aura of a man who has lived through the excesses of the business and come serenely out the other side. “I looked up to my big brother Jay-Z, also Puff [Daddy], you know, and at the time, they were brash with it, they let you know,” he says of his early years in music and the styling that came with them. “Because it was so hard for them to get in that when they got in, they just acted all the way up, you know, in the most luxurious way that they could. So in trying to keep up with them, that led me to be braggadocious at times.” To that extent Joopiter could represent another re-evaluation: the decision of man who no longer wants, or needs, to be surrounded by his past. Today, he says he sees himself as part of a vanguard pushing to move both music and fashion forward. “You know, myself, Kanye, Virgil… we’re all on the front lines, helping to get some of those old spirits to wake up,” he says. “Woke scares people sometimes but, damn, I’d rather be woke than asleep.” Pharrell connects with everyone in the room and encourages them to think bigger than product,” Galway continues. “He takes inspiration from everywhere, whether it be globally or across the brand, and wants to create change with everything he does.”

In a whitewashed loft apartment somewhere in lower Manhattan, Pharrell Williams is moving his hands through the air as if solving a giant floating jigsaw puzzle. “The pieces appear to you above your head,” he says, gesturing to the imaginary items that he’s using to describe his creative process. “And you go, OK, maybe this goes here, maybe that goes there.” If you’re looking to snap up some Pharrell-designed pieces — or just give yourself a refresh on the producer extraordinaire’s style — we’ve rounded up some of the best Pharrell Williams brands and collaborations that you can shop online. If Pharrell Williams’ status as a fashion mogul wasn’t already cemented, it certainly is now: The legendary musician and designer has just been named creative director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line. It all originates from the same taste palette. There’s an eccentricity, I think, to my taste,” he says. “That’s how I am across all senses. What I learn in one artistic discipline, I may be able to transcribe into another. What I learn in music, I might be influenced by and be able to transform and transpose it into something that is visual. Karl Lagerfeld, too, says he recognized Williams’ unique take on fashion, and his agility and talent across the spectrum of pop culture.Pioneer, arbiter of taste, and self-proclaimed futurist Pharrell has launched his own auction house and content platform, JOOPITER, as an avenue to allow others to bid on some of his most iconic pieces. The items up for sale are what you could call the DNA of Pharrell and are pieces that have shaped and transformed culture as we know it. Described as cultural artifacts, the fashion and music icon hopes to build a space for today’s collectors, curators, and creators. Working with my collaborators, it’s like, why are we continuing to follow these old customs?” He asks. “It’s not how people think, let alone shop. At this, Williams brings his fist to his temple, bearing the same meditative look on his face as two months prior. He changes the subject, starts talking about FaceTime. (“It’s so much better than just a voice. Right?” he says). Then, he hangs up the phone. He’s got more projects to tend to, more events to attend to promote them. Later in the evening, Williams will head to The Novo in downtown Los Angeles for a question-and-answer session and book signing of his new Rizzoli book, “A Fish Doesn’t Know It’s Wet.” It’s one of the many endeavors he takes on, which constantly vary — but without fail, they bear the signature Pharrell stamp. It’s his way of learning new things and contributing unseen narratives to the ears and eyes of the masses. Before he goes, he puts one hand on his heart. It’s a human thing to do, a way to show gratitude and connect with whoever’s on the other end of the line.