Pharrell Williams. “I am living a love story with the French, France and Paris.”

Pharrell Williams is on his way to conquer Paris. After the start of the temporary exhibition Just friends (1) With Sarah Andelman, founder of the former Parisian store Colette, the musician collects everything. First, making his debut as creative director of Louis Vuitton’s ready-to-wear collections for men with a spectacular show on rue du Pont-Neuf, presented on June 20 during Men’s Fashion Week. Then, a few days later, this Thursday, June 22, at La Samaritaine (2) with a pop-up for her cosmetics brand Humanrace. A prestigious setting for its combination skincare range, created only in 2020, which perpetuates the legend that everything it touches turns to gold. In the private salons of the capital’s department store, the designer shares some confidences about his vision of beauty. Meeting.

In the video: Pharrell Williams’ first show for Louis Vuitton

spiritual beauty

Madame Figaro: What is your definition?beauty?
Pharrell Williams – Beauty is an emotion. Beauty vibrates. When people see beauty in you, they see what comes naturally from you. Visual beauty is aesthetic, literally, but it disappears. Meanwhile, spiritual beauty is permanent.

Visual beauty is aesthetic, literally, but it disappears. Whereas spiritual beauty is permanent

Pharrell Williams

What does it mean to you to create your cosmetics brand in La Samaritaine and Paris?
It is obviously an honor to be part of the LVMH family (The Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy group owns the Parisian department store Ed.) This gives us an incredible advantage that we didn’t have before and that we always had ambitions for. It changes things. It’s about another step towards the ultimate dream, towards what I want for the Humanrace, my ‘baby’ born during the pandemic. It continues to evolve and it’s so cool. I live a love story with the French, France and Paris. Parisians have always been good to me on many artistic subjects.

Humanrace is a brand of beauty products known as “gender neutral» and including two values ​​that are dear to you…
We mainly focus on the person. We create skin care. We are literally talking about the skin. As long as you have a beating heart, a thinking mind, warm blood running through your body, and you are a good person, then this cosmetic brand is for you. We will help you with your skin. This is what took us the longest to design when we were creating this “baby”. We thought. “Let’s take the time to do it really well so it works for people.”

The first and foremost manufacturer

Today, more and more famous cosmetic brands are appearing. How do you try to stand out in this industry?
I am not a big “celebrity”. Can I fit into this category? Of course. But I’m more of a producer than anything else. If you want to put me in a category, call me a producer. This is about something deeper than a simple product, packaging or chemical formula. We don’t claim to make you prettier or prettier, we claim to make it easier and more convenient for you. These are fully choreographed steps to achieve this.

Where do you get your inspiration to create your new beauty products?
There is no and what is missing.

I find inspiration in what is not there and what is missing

Pharrell Williams

People often say that you don’t age. What is your secret to eternal youth?
I don’t know, I don’t understand why people say that… but Humanrace helps a lot. There’s a beauty routine to stick to, that’s what I learned from Dr. Elena Jones (American dermatologist who collaborates with Pharrell Williams to develop Humanrace beauty products, Editor’s Note) And it’s also a question of vibration, what we give off. That’s literally what it feels like inside

(1) Free temporary display Just friendsfrom June 20 to 24, 2023, 8 avenue Matignon, Paris 8th.
(2) Pop-up Humanrace at La Samaritaine in Paris until July 26, 2023.

Guests at the Louis Vuitton Pharrell Williams show. Our question game at Pont Neuf in Paris was in the mood