Names and faces
■ Louis Vuitton has named multi-talented singer-songwriter-philanthropist Pharrell Williams creative director of its menswear division, replacing the late Virgil Abloh, the company said this week. “Pharrell Williams is a visionary whose creative universes expand from music, to art and to fashion — establishing himself as a cultural, global icon over the past 20 years,” the luxury house said. The “Happy” singer is a 13-time Grammy winner and twotime Oscar nominee with experience working with luxury brands and designers including the late Karl Lagerfeld. Williams’ first collection is scheduled to be shown during Paris Men’s Fashion Week in June. Williams, 49, collaborated with the luxury group LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) in 2004 and 2008. He had a popular sneaker collaboration with Chanel in 2017 and a unisex clothing collection in 2019 that he designed with Lagerfeld. He also has his own fashion brands, including Billionaire Boys Club and Icecream. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter,” said the brand’s new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pietro Beccari.
■ The Koh-i-noor diamond won’t be used during King Charles III’s coronation, allowing Buckingham Palace to sidestep the controversy surrounding a gem acquired during the age of empire. Camilla, the queen consort, will not use the diamond in her coronation crown. Rather than commission a new crown, as is customary, Camilla will modify Queen Mary’s crown using diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal collection, the palace said this week. Some observers had speculated that Camilla would wear the crown made for Queen Elizabeth, the queen mother, in 1937, which had the Koh-i-noor diamond as its centerpiece. That reportedly sparked concern from some people in India, who said using the Koh-i-noor in the coronation could be an uncomfortable reminder of Britain’s oppressive past. Seized by the East India Company after its victory in the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1849, the gem was given to Queen Victoria and has remained part of the Crown Jewels ever since. But countries including India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have all claimed ownership.