It seemed unlikely that anyone in fashion media was going to pan Pharrell’s first collection, because it was always going to be a hotly anticipated, star-studded spectacle. Fashionista mostly seemed positive about it, though it did note, “We can surmise that, with a creative like him at the helm, there won’t necessarily be an emphasis on the intricacies of apparel design.” That seems like a spot of diplomacy at work. Pharrell did seem to approach this smartly, though, reviving a signature checkerboard pattern (the Damier) and announcing it as one of his hallmarks, plus injecting some whimsy with shoes and bags and glasses — all the stuff people MIGHT be more likely to splurge on than a full outfit. And he seemed pretty clear on the fact that he’s not the choice people necessarily expected:
“Kings rule in positions, right? I’m not that. What I am is a pupil, and I accepted it, this appointment, by saying, you know, I’m going to continue to be me. I’m going to continue to learn and with every collection, you’re going to see me sharing my learnings with the world,” he said.
“And my team helps to contextualize, lift, elevate, enrichen and even enlighten a concept to just epic proportion. I’m always going to continue to talk about my team because they’re the best. If you see me and it looks like I’m floating, it’s them lifting me,” he said.
I don’t really know what to make of it, exactly, because it ISN’T heavy on design so much as aesthetics. But it’s cohesive, and colorful, and apart from some garish graphical work here and there that seems unnecessary, it’s not terrible? That “Damoflage” that he is proud of, though, really does look like nothing so much as when my kids play Minecraft, and the early teen set cannot be the target audience here?
