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Will the Pharrell Williams magic work for Louis Vuitton?

A round up of news from the world of fashion, luxury and auctions

Pharrell Williams during the 'Le Grand Journal' TV show at the headquarters of the French television channel Canal Plus in Paris in 2014.
Pharrell Williams during the 'Le Grand Journal' TV show at the headquarters of the French television channel Canal Plus in Paris in 2014. (AFP)

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Louis Vuitton recently named singer-music producer Pharrell Williams as its new menswear designer, filling a role previously held by the late Virgil Abloh.

According to a Bloomberg report, the appointment is effective immediately and Williams will unveil his debut collection at the Paris menswear fashion week in June, the French brand said in a statement. “Williams is the second Black person to hold one of the most prestigious roles at the world’s biggest fashion label. Abloh was Louis Vuitton’s menswear star designer before his death from cancer in 2021 at the age of 41,” states the report.

Williams’ “creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter,” said Pietro Beccari in his first major decision since being named the brand’s chairman and chief executive officer last month.

Like Abloh, who is remembered for his influence on streetwear and sneaker culture with his brand Off-White, Williams is also an apparel entrepreneur. In 2003, he and Japanese designer Nigo founded Billionaire Boys Club, a clothing, accessories and lifestyle brand. Nigo is now the artistic director of LVMH’s Kenzo.

Also read: Louis Vuitton picks Pharrell Williams to head menswear designs

Since then Williams has worked with other brands, including German sneaker maker Adidas AG, and has founded skincare brand Humanrace, states the Bloomberg report.

Michael Kors’ Gloria Steinem tribute

A model presents designs by Michael Kors during New York Fashion Week in New York City on 15 February
A model presents designs by Michael Kors during New York Fashion Week in New York City on 15 February (AFP)

On the final day of the New York Fashion Week, US designer Michael Kors paid tribute to feminist icon Gloria Steinem.

His fall-winter 2023 collection, which was presented on 15 February, saw several models wear round, low-hanging belts in a nod to the 88-year-old Steinem’s signature look, states the AFP report. Steinem, considered the leader of second-wave feminism in America in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, sat front row at the show in Manhattan’s West Village.

“The women who intrigued me then (and who) still intrigue me today are the women who break the rules, do things their own way,” Kors told reporters Tuesday, ahead of the show. “Even though they’re strong or they’re powerful, and they’re smart, they’re happy to admit that they love fashion, and they enjoy fashion,” he added.

A record-making Bible

The 'Codex Sassoon' bible is displayed at Sotheby's in New York on 15 February.
The 'Codex Sassoon' bible is displayed at Sotheby's in New York on 15 February. (AFP)

A Hebrew Bible billed as the oldest nearly-complete example in the world is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s New York in May, with an estimate of $30-$50 million, says a Bloomberg report. It’s been dubbed the “Codex Sassoon” by the auction house in reference to its onetime owner, the collector and philanthropist David Solomon Sassoon (1880-1942).

If it sells for its high estimate it will become the most expensive manuscript or book to ever sell at auction. The Codex Sassoon dates to the late 9th or early 10th century, and contains all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible; it’s missing some pages from Genesis.

Also read: How to turn a Buddhist concept into high fashion, by Prabal Gurung

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