Pharrell Williams is on the pod! He talks to Vogue China’s Margaret Zhang and Yiling Pan about his role as creative director at Louis Vuitton men’s, while José Criales-Unzueta joins Chloe and Chioma to chat about the latest in menswear.
Director: Yichuan Zhang
Directors of Photography: Haozi, Xiaoxiao
Editor: Tristen Rogers
Producer: Raymond Fu
Creative Producers: Audrey Siegel, Sienna Guo
Video Producers: Audrey Siegel, Yichuan Zhang
Podcast Producers: Chelsea Daniel, Alex Jhamb-Burns
Associate Director, Creative Development: Alexandra Gurvitch
Audio: Dian Zhang
On Set Production Manager: Danni
Stylist: Echo Xiao
Production Assistant: Du Li
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
Post Production Coordinator: Jovan James
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Post Production Supervisor: Edward Taylor
Casting Director: Sienna Guo
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
Executive Producer: Margaret Zhang
Vice President, Global Audio: Suzie Lechtenberg
VP, Digital Video English: Thespena Guatieri
Director: Yichuan Zhang
Directors of Photography: Haozi, Xiaoxiao
Editor: Tristen Rogers
Producer: Raymond Fu
Creative Producers: Audrey Siegel, Sienna Guo
Video Producers: Audrey Siegel, Yichuan Zhang
Podcast Producers: Chelsea Daniel, Alex Jhamb-Burns
Associate Director, Creative Development: Alexandra Gurvitch
Audio: Dian Zhang
On Set Production Manager: Danni
Stylist: Echo Xiao
Production Assistant: Du Li
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
Post Production Coordinator: Jovan James
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Post Production Supervisor: Edward Taylor
Casting Director: Sienna Guo
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
Executive Producer: Margaret Zhang
Vice President, Global Audio: Suzie Lechtenberg
VP, Digital Video English: Thespena Guatieri
Category
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PeopleTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - How do you feel about the importance of fashion's role
00:07 in being culturally relevant or even shaping culture?
00:11 - You know, I hesitate to put responsibility
00:16 on anyone or even sectors.
00:19 Now, that being said, I do think that fashion
00:23 can be an agent of galvanizing and of enlightening people.
00:28 I think it can be an agent, but I hesitate to put
00:32 that kind of responsibility on anyone
00:35 or any particular artistic discipline.
00:38 But it's always beautiful when art can do that,
00:41 and art does do that.
00:43 - But then, what do you think your role is
00:46 in playing this part?
00:48 You said you don't wanna put responsibility
00:50 on any brand or any person, but you agree that
00:53 it's actually having an impact in shaping culture.
00:57 So, what do you think you are playing in that part?
01:01 - Lead by example.
01:03 For me, I see the beauty of the difference in people.
01:05 I think that which makes you different
01:09 is what makes you special,
01:11 and we just need a little bit more of that.
01:13 - That's an interesting point you make
01:14 about a creative director role as a lens on the world
01:18 or lens on communities that are happening around you.
01:20 And I think in this moment, there's a lot of confusion
01:23 about what a creative director actually is,
01:25 because in different ecosystems and different markets,
01:27 it means a different thing.
01:29 What would you say is your view on,
01:32 Louis Vuitton is a house with codes and heritage.
01:34 Do you see your role as connecting that past,
01:38 like vibrant, rich past, with the future in some way,
01:41 kind of being that bridging force?
01:43 - It's more like,
01:45 I work with 55 different departments,
01:49 over 2,500 soldiers.
01:53 I call them soldiers.
01:56 But this is like a love movement.
01:58 But you have to conduct.
02:01 It's like a huge orchestra.
02:03 And my job is to make sure that everything is in harmony,
02:08 and to weed out any of the dissonance,
02:13 and just make sure that it's a harmonious thing
02:19 and that we move as a unit.
02:21 And that's been such a pleasure.
02:26 These, I mean, masterful artisans I'm surrounded by.
02:30 So like, it's great.
02:32 - Now that you've been on the inside
02:35 for a period of time learning from these artisans,
02:37 what has really surprised you
02:38 about some of the people you've worked with?
02:40 Or has anyone said anything to you
02:42 or asked you anything that really gave you pause
02:44 that you didn't expect?
02:45 - It just continues to be a dream.
02:47 I think that's probably the most striking thing to me.
02:50 Like I never experienced anything like that.
02:53 It just continues to be a dream.
02:56 But like, if I don't have a job,
02:58 but if I had one, it'd be very easy and hard
03:02 at the same time, which is not to wake up.
03:04 That's it.
03:06 All we do is dream.
03:07 We dream and make dreams happen,
03:09 and we make manifest of dreams.
03:11 We bring them to fruition.
03:13 - You know, it's very interesting for me
03:15 that you mentioned harmony, this word so many times,
03:19 'cause harmony is actually a very important concept
03:21 in Chinese culture as well.
03:23 Like we care about this,
03:24 and also love in a general term
03:27 is also something like China is trying to embrace a lot
03:31 in our modern culture.
03:32 But then I think you're aware that in the fashion industry,
03:36 in creative industry, there has been a lot of discussion
03:40 about a lack of diversity and inclusion at different levels.
03:45 So I was wondering, what do you think is the change
03:49 that is necessary to happen in order to tackle
03:52 the current issue or just make the fashion system
03:55 become better?
03:57 - You know, that's a question that really boils down
04:02 to like equality, your question.
04:04 But I think that there's an interesting answer
04:08 that has nothing to do with equality.
04:10 It's equity.
04:12 It's having more people of color
04:15 to have their own businesses and to have their own brands.
04:21 And for the consumer base to support them.
04:25 And that's how we're really gonna diversify in this world.
04:29 Like what we can't do as people of color
04:33 is continue to try to find a seat at a table
04:36 where we may or may not be welcome.
04:39 My whole thing is like,
04:40 there's room under the sun for everyone.
04:42 Why don't we just build our own tables?
04:44 Right?
04:45 - So that's what you're doing.
04:46 - Yeah, and welcome who we may.
04:49 - And in this role, how do you find opportunities
04:51 to empower people to build their own tables, so to speak?
04:56 - Well, we do that with Black Ambition,
04:59 which the house is very supportive of.
05:01 It's run by like Felicia Hatcher
05:04 and they're like totally crushing it.
05:09 But that provides like strategic scaffolding
05:13 and resources to black and brown concepts.
05:16 And I think we just need more of that.
05:18 You know, again, equality is awesome.
05:22 You know, our parents and their parents and their parents,
05:24 they fought for equality.
05:26 But I think, you know,
05:28 equity is much more formidable and powerful
05:33 because when you have equity,
05:35 you don't have to ask anyone,
05:37 can you have a seat at the table?
05:39 It's your table.
05:40 And you can make as many chairs as you like,
05:43 you know, your own cap table.
05:46 - Yeah, 100%.
05:48 You know, I think it's interesting what you say
05:50 because you're right in this moment that Asian voices,
05:53 the whole Eastern hemisphere,
05:55 a lot of generations of work of creative culture.
05:58 And in China, certainly thousands of years
05:59 of creative culture,
06:01 we feel is kind of concentrating in this moment
06:03 and manifesting in this moment where, you know,
06:06 we've just had our Vogue China fashion fund,
06:08 inaugural fashion fund winners announced recently.
06:11 And it's the first time that we've really felt
06:13 the world is paying attention
06:14 to these new Chinese creative voices.
06:17 And I know that they'd be so curious to hear from you,
06:19 what advice you have for them as creatives?
06:22 - Oh, first and foremost, you know, focus on your light,
06:27 be creative.
06:28 None of this matters if you're not doing something
06:31 that is really interesting and striking.
06:34 Focus on that.
06:35 And with the ubiquitous nature of the internet,
06:38 everyone's connected, so it'll get out there.
06:41 You know, there's no such thing as the greatest kept secret.
06:45 If we just continue to focus on being great,
06:48 it's very different than it was 30, 40 years ago.
06:52 - Sure.
06:53 - You know, everything was like in a vacuum.
06:56 But now, like I said, because of the internet,
07:00 it's different.
07:00 If you're really talented, they will find you.
07:04 Somebody will find you, somebody will get behind you.
07:07 And I just, I mean, you know, just being over here
07:11 and just seeing everything that's going on,
07:14 man, it's really your time.
07:16 It's your time, like nothing is stopping you, nothing.
07:19 Nothing can dim the light.
07:23 And by the way, the light that I'm referring to
07:26 is the light of the universe, right?
07:29 You know, we know that, you know, there's a day and a night,
07:34 but the sun does not set, the earth is just spinning.
07:37 Right, and when you know that,
07:38 you realize the sun is always shining.
07:40 So it doesn't matter if it's nighttime and you can't see it.
07:43 It doesn't mean that the sun is not shining
07:45 in your direction.
07:47 So once you know that, you realize you don't need the light
07:50 or the acceptance from--
07:52 - Sure, like validation of--
07:55 - The world at large.
07:56 Like just shine and be bright and be magnetic, be great.
08:01 That goes back to the question that you asked me
08:05 about like the young creators here, what they need to hear.
08:07 Just be magnetic.
08:09 - But I was wondering, you also said
08:12 that there are a lot of setbacks
08:14 that people might experience during the process
08:16 that they're trying to fight their light
08:18 or do things that they think is right.
08:20 So what kind of mindset they should have
08:23 in order to keep focusing on like fighting their light?
08:27 - Well, those blockages and those purposeful disadvantages
08:31 are set up in a system that you don't really need.
08:35 You don't need it anymore.
08:38 We used to.
08:39 It's like for a very long time,
08:42 the record industry would make you feel
08:44 like they were the complete gateway for people to know you.
08:49 And now you have more artists making music
08:53 that are not signed to a label and making so much money.
08:56 And it's beautiful.
08:58 And I don't want to measure it across like,
09:02 it's more like millionaires under 30,
09:04 like there's billionaires under 30.
09:07 But we're not going to measure it that way.
09:09 What we're going to say is
09:10 there is an incredible population of Gen Zers
09:15 and like even millennials who are like
09:21 just writing their own checks.
09:22 They're carving their own paths,
09:27 they're blazing their own trails.
09:29 And it's a really beautiful karmic thing to watch.
09:34 It's like kismet to me.
09:36 - That makes sense.
09:37 I mean, do you feel that social media as an ecosystem
09:41 has a negative or positive or indifferent impact
09:46 on luxury as a category now that you're running the ship?
09:49 - I think good, bad, and good, bad, and good,
09:52 bad, and indifferent.
09:53 - Yeah.
09:54 - Yeah, for sure.
09:55 - In what sense?
09:57 - I mean, it's good in certain ways,
09:59 it's not so good in other ways.
10:01 And then there's a part of it
10:03 where it just kind of like doesn't matter.
10:04 - Right.
10:05 - Yeah.
10:06 But I think that like,
10:09 there's a lot of artists that are born in social media
10:12 and I think there's a lot of fashion designers
10:13 that are born in social media
10:15 and they sort of design for the 'gram, you know?
10:18 And they're artists that make music for the 'gram.
10:22 It's like a very different thing, but it's fine.
10:26 - But you don't feel-
10:26 - I'm not a fashion designer.
10:29 - Sure, okay.
10:29 How would you classify yourself if not a fashion designer?
10:32 - Oh, creative director for sure.
10:34 Yeah.
10:35 When I first came to the house
10:36 and I sat down with Bernard Arnault,
10:39 the first thing I did was lay down
10:41 like the five different pillars of what I wanted,
10:44 what I saw the house doing with my leadership.
10:49 And then we talked about like core elements
10:54 and codes that I wanted to change
10:57 and essentially level up from where they were.
11:01 And he agreed on all of it.
11:02 And then everything that you guys are seeing
11:04 are all the things that I've presented.
11:06 - And this Hawaiian or island vacation
11:09 that you brought to Hong Kong,
11:10 how does that vehicle kind of empower
11:13 the creatives in your community or the consumer?
11:16 - Well, it's a pre-collection, right?
11:18 And usually there's no shows around pre-collections.
11:20 There's not a lot of shows around pre-collections.
11:23 And I wanted to make it so that our pre-collections
11:28 felt like main shows.
11:30 - Okay.
11:30 - Like I wanted it to feel like,
11:34 'cause usually, I mean, at least for us,
11:37 usually pre-collections are like, a lot of beige,
11:39 a lot of like navy blue, a lot of black, a lot of gray,
11:42 little bit of cream, some tan.
11:45 And it's very like middle-aged,
11:49 like professional guy on the go,
11:53 like a character on succession or something.
11:57 - Sexy.
11:59 - And I was like, let's level it up.
12:03 Let's make this pre-collection feel like
12:06 it's one of the main shows.
12:07 We obviously incorporated all the codes,
12:11 but I wanted to shake the tree a bit,
12:13 'cause I think that that comes,
12:15 'cause it's also like,
12:16 it's where they do a big bulk of the business
12:19 because it's so like middle of the road and centrist.
12:23 But I still wanted to shake it up a bit
12:26 so that we are leveling the consumer up
12:30 and the client up, like not just a couple steps,
12:34 like, oh, we're gonna step it up.
12:36 No, no, no, we want it to floor it up.
12:38 I wanted to take them up several floors.
12:39 So there was a lot of incorporation of a lot of pearls.
12:43 There's a lot of embroidery.
12:45 This jacket is like-
12:47 - I was looking at your jacket.
12:48 - Yeah, this jacket is gonna be, this is made to order,
12:51 but this was like to commemorate my trip here in China.
12:54 So it just starts-
12:56 - Oh, great.
12:56 Oh, okay.
12:58 - I think it's one of the pieces
13:00 for the upcoming Chinese New Year collection, though.
13:02 So it's like the unique piece.
13:04 - We just knew that like,
13:05 it's gonna be the year of the dragon.
13:08 So we started there.
13:10 I wanted my Asian siblings to know,
13:12 like, listen, I appreciate everything
13:14 that you've sewn into me
13:17 and that, you know,
13:18 just supported me on every platform I've ever existed on.
13:23 And this was a new platform for me
13:25 and that I intend to share it.
13:27 - And maybe one last question on menswear.
13:30 So, I mean, you have been heading up
13:32 this menswear department for WeTown for a while.
13:35 How do you perceive menswear category in 2023?
13:39 And how do you see it involved going forward?
13:42 - For me, I know on paper it's menswear,
13:46 but I just make clothes for humans.
13:48 I learned that, you know, being over at Chanel,
13:52 I used to wear things that I felt like I could pull off,
13:56 not because they were less effeminate,
13:58 but if I thought I could wear it,
14:01 then I would wear, you know, a sweater here
14:03 or a belt there or whatever.
14:05 And I used to wear Celine when Phoebe was there.
14:07 Like, I wore a lot of that.
14:09 I was super early on that.
14:12 But I think that's my job, right?
14:14 That's my responsibility to bring that energy
14:17 to this menswear appointment.
14:22 It's to make clothes for humans.
14:24 I don't know, sometimes like culture
14:28 lets you know what it wants to be.
14:30 And I know why we have been welcoming, not accepting.
14:36 It's a very big difference between welcoming and accepting.
14:40 Some people are accepting,
14:41 but we've been very welcoming to humans.
14:45 I think they just always want me to be respectful
14:49 and not step on the toes of like, you know,
14:52 the women's department, be respectful of our siblings there.
14:56 But I just, I pride myself on just like,
14:59 making things for humans.
15:02 - And to wrap up, what excites you about the future?
15:06 - God.
15:09 Yeah.
15:12 There's nothing more exciting than that.
15:15 - That's a great answer.
15:16 - I mean, but right, though, it's the universe.
15:18 Like, where are we without it?
15:21 Like, it's just not even possible.
15:24 But the idea that the universe continues to provide me
15:27 with these opportunities that I can't put into words,
15:32 just like dreams, right?
15:37 A lot of times they're dreams that you've had
15:39 and you just can't put into words.
15:41 - Yeah, and never planned for.
15:42 And a detour becomes a main road.
15:44 - Yes.
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