Louis Vuitton’s Millionaires sunglasses have been reimagined through the creative lens of Pharrell Williams.
The uber-stylish multi-hyphenate, who currently serves as the French fashion house’s men’s creative director, has updated the now somewhat retro shades in celebration of their 20th anniversary. It is something of a full circle moment for the designer as he created the original Millionaires in the early 2000s.
Louis Vuitton, then under the creative direction of Marc Jacobs, invited Williams and Japanese fashion designer Nigo of Kenzo fame to collaborate on a pair of sunglasses in 2004. The resulting shades, described as “one part Tony Montana, one part The Notorious BIG,” featured a classic aviator silhouette and glitzy metal strips stamped with iconic LV symbols. They quickly became a staple in hip-hop circles, proving that Pharrell and Nigo had cracked the code in combining music and streetwear with luxury fashion.
Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton
The new sunglasses showcase two fresh frame shapes: The 1.0 Millionaires closely reinterprets the original, while the 3.0 Millionaires is a sleeker, more contemporary style. The 1.0 is available in two colourways: chocolate tortoise with gradient lenses and gold details or monochromatic black with aged gold accents. Both pairs closely mirror the 2004 design.
Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton
The 3.0 is quite a departure from the original shades. Each pair will be made in Italy from the same highly resistant, flexible, and lightweight carbon fibre that is used widely in the automotive world. They are also fitted with silver LV-engraved hinges and Damier-patterned metal strips. Again, the style is available in two colourways: black with orange lenses or monochromatic black.
Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton
The OG Millionaires were the first thing Williams created for Louis Vuitton and paved the way for his subsequent designs. Two decades later, the 51-year-old’s debut Spring-Summer 2024 line collection and his autumn-winter 2024 workwear collection (feat. those coveted LV Timberlands) have rolled out worldwide. He has also teamed up with fellow LVMH brand Tiffany & Co. on a jewellery line inspired by the trident Poseidon carried in Greek mythology. And to think all that came from a pair of aviators.
Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton
The 1.0 Millionaires (priced at US$780/HK$6,080) will be available in-store and online on 4 July, while the 3.0 Millionaires (priced at US$2,100/HK$16,375) will drop on 8 August.
