Pharrell Williams has released a short film ahead of the launch of his highly-anticipated collection with Chanel.
The Happy singer announced he would be designing a capsule collection for the Parisian fashion house in 2018, and fans have been eagerly awaiting the details ever since.
The behind-the-scenes film, released on 26 March, offers a sneak peek at Williams’ designs, which on a first glance look like a unique blend of Chanel’s trademark glamour with edgier streetwear staples.
The interlocking “C” logo appears to features heavily on several garments, in either sparkling embellishments or pearl necklaces.
There are also graffiti hoodies, terry towelling bucket hats, bum bags and logomania belts.
Speaking about his inspiration behind the clothes, the 45-year-old musician revealed he’s wanted to take the opportunity to explore gender fluidity in fashion while paying homage to hip-hop culture and anime.
The collection is modelled by a diverse cast, including Alton Mason, Adesuwa, Adut Akech and Anok Yai, some of whom discuss their excitement at the prospect of working with Williams' describing him as a “genius”.
“Gabrielle Coco Chanel didn’t see partitions,” Williams says in the film. “And it’s interesting because neither did the brand when it came to giving me a shot. They didn’t see partitions, but they’re not afraid of these things.Just like she wasn’t afraid.
“There doesn’t need to be boundaries as long as you can hold onto the heritage and continue to push it, like Karl always does, we don’t need walls, we need bridges.”
Williams speaks about Karl Lagerfeld, who was creative director at Chanel for more than three decades, in the present tense, suggesting that the film might’ve been made prior to the designer's passing in February.
Following the designer's death, aged 85, Williams posted a tribute to the fashion figurehead on Instagram, writing: “The goat sleeps” alongside a snap of the two together.
The Chanel-Pharrell collection will be available exclusively in Seoul on 29 March and worldwide on 4 April.
