Pharrell Williams, the man behind a string of hit songs, including the global smash ‘Happy’, has collaborated with Adidas once again to produce a clothing collection called ‘Pharrell Premium Basics.’
Launched in April, the range features a selection of T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, sweatpants, and sneakers in a minimalist style aimed at the low to mid-range price bracket.
Premium Basics Collection@adidasoriginals
Out now at https://t.co/UhTnt7s0CCThank you @ShaniqwaJarvis for your amazing work and Noah Purifoy Foundation for being the perfect metaphorical environment for this campaign, re-imagining "basic” through Noah Purifoy’s art 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/THggOYP8PU
— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) April 10, 2021
A Perfect Match
This is not the first time that the entertainer/entrepreneur has worked with Adidas having first collaborated on the NMD “Human Race” collection released in 2016. A year later, he partnered with Adidas and Chanel to produce a sneaker priced at $1000 and he has remained a face of the sports brand ever since.
A Fashion Icon
Williams first entered the fashion world a decade earlier (2005) when he teamed up with Japanese fashion designer Nigo to produce a range of streetwear under the Billionaire Boys Club brand. The duo also launched Ice Cream footwear in the same year. A range of eyewear and jewelry in collaboration with Louis Vuitton followed in 2008. Williams’ early foray into fashion earned him the title of Esquire magazine’s “Best Dressed Man in the World” in 2005.
Other clothing projects included a collaboration with G-Star Raw and Bionic Yarn, Williams’ own textile brand, to create a range of denim made from recycled plastic recovered from the ocean; and a collection for Uniqlo produced in collaboration with Nigo.
A Versatile Career
On top of all this, Pharrell Williams has found time to pursue a diverse range of other activities. As well as working as a singer, songwriter, music producer, and fashion designer, he has also worked as an actor, artist, and movie producer, overseeing the filming of hit movies including Dope (2015) and Hidden Figures (2016).
Between 2014 and 2016, Williams moved into prime-time TV working as a judge and coach on hit TV talent show The Voice, which according to reality TV voting habits is the most popular reality TV show in the US. Under the guidance of Williams, singer Sawyer Fredericks won the eighth series of the show, the youngest contestant ever to do so.
Giving Youth a Chance
He has also used his high profile to good effect, working on various charitable projects aimed at providing opportunities to young people. For one project, he teamed up with Verizon to launch a technology-based music curriculum in foundation learning schools nationwide. The aim is to give students at underfunded schools access to free technology and internet to work on music projects and develop their understanding of technology.
With this latest range, Williams’ has once again demonstrated the far-reaching influence he still has in the art, fashion, and culture worlds. Once a figure who preferred to work in the shadows of others, his willingness to diversify and embrace the limelight has ensured his longevity in various fields, while also putting him in a position to help others.
