Thanks to Pharrell Williams, Tyler, the Creator can now add European high-fashion to his ever-expanding design portfolio. Not content with the preppy cardis of his line Golf le Fleur*, or the graphic tees of sister brand Golf Wang, Tyler has now ventured into French territory, teaming up with Louis Vuitton for a brand new capsule collection.
Tyler’s design work has always been rooted in the things that he wears, and this time it’s no different. The new line includes things like socks and sandals, golf-inspired knitwear, tailored shorts, and a special €68,000 edition of LV’s famous Courrier Lozine 110 trunk. Fans will know that the rapper loves a briefcase moment, and was barely spotted without one during the Call Me If You Get Lost era, so getting to put his own spin on an iconic trunk is a full circle moment.
Elsewhere, the collection also features a brown suit and leather accessories with Tyler’s hand-drawn take on the LV monogram, which the house has dubbed the ‘Craggy Monogram’. This new take on a classic comes soon after Pharrell introduced ‘Damoflage’ at the label’s SS24 show last year, a version of the Damier check but in pixelated camouflage. Remixing staples from the label’s heritage seems to be something Pharrell is committed to at the moment, and chimes with his vision of expanding and exploring who the modern LV customer could be.
Speaking of Pharrell, in an interview with WWD about Tyler’s new collection, the creative director gushed about their friendship and Tyler’s maturing tastes. “Tyler has been my close friend and collaborator for years,” he said. “I admire his eye and we’ve always connected on music, fashion and jewellery. He doesn’t shy away from doing something interesting and different.” Pharrell then went on to say that “Everything that Tyler does is thoughtful and authentic. We’ve done something completely new with this project that merges our two worlds and the outcome is uniquely LV.”
Of course, this isn’t Tyler’s first time dealing with the house of LV. The rapper had a close relationship with previous creative director Virgil Abloh, and even scored the soundtrack for the first LV show post Abloh’s passing. Pharrell also recognised Tyler’s history with the brand, stating that the rapper “already had a strong relationship with the maison when Virgil was here, and this spring collection intentionally builds on this”. He also added that the new collection “strengthens our LVers community of incredible minds and artists who understand our vision and appreciate the history and Virgil’s impact like Tyler does.”
Tyler, the Creator’s Louis Vuitton capsule collection is available from March 21.