Pharrell Williams has been riding high since his debut with Louis Vuitton, but a new allegation could be about to put a damper on things.
On Friday (June 23), a clip began circulation online of independent fashion designer Kellie Ford, where she claimed the super-producer and Louis Vuitton stole her idea for a bag as part of their latest collection.
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In a series of posts on TikTok, Ford recalled going viral in 2021 for repurposing LV’s signature shopping bag. A few people seem to support Ford’s claim of theft, but others pointed out that Ford was using Louis Vuitton’s image in the first place — possibly affecting her copyright claim.
As of today, neither Pharrell nor Louis Vuitton has responded to the allegations.
The Neptunes hitmaker was selected to be the luxury brand’s men’s creative director earlier this year.
Williams’ recent debut at Paris Fashion Week turned heads as he debuted his collection with a memorable experience spanning the bridge in front of the Louis Vuitton headquarters and the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned Cheval Blanc hotel.
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Plenty of star power was sat in the front row with JAY-Z, Beyoncé, A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, Zendaya, Kim Kardashian, Jayden and Willow Smith, LeBron James, Lewis Hamilton, Russell Westbrook, and more in attendance.
Hov and Pharrell hit the stage after the choir and Clipse-assisted show to perform collabs “Give It 2 Me” and “Frontin’,” while Jay continued to rock the Paris crowd with anthems like “On to the Next One,” “Public Service Announcement,” and “N-ggas In Paris,” which recently earned diamond certification.
Ahead of his show, Williams sat down with WWD to reflect on his new position and referred to it “dream job.”
“Every day, I gotta pinch myself because it’s an appointment, and I was chosen,” Williams said of the position. “Pietro saw something, and I’m touched by that, and I honor that every day.”
He also addressed the critics who believed he was unqualified for the esteemed Louis Vuitton position and pointed to his decorated music career.
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“I didn’t go to Central Saint Martins, but I also didn’t go to Juilliard either in music, and I mean, we see how that turned out,” the Grammy-winner said. “It’s cool. That’s a very fair observation. But neither did Vivienne Westwood, right? Tadao Ando was self-taught. I mean, he’s the GOAT, right? I only aspire to express myself.”
