Pharrell’s debut Louis Vuitton collection has been mocked for looking like Minecraft designs

Pharrell Williams’ debut Louis Vuitton collection has been mocked by fans who compared the singer’s designs to those of the characters in Minecraft.

The artist held his first show as creative director of menswear for the French fashion brand in Paris on Tuesday, attracting a star-studded crowd.

But while he thrilled the likes of Kim Kardashian and Rihanna — who showed up wearing the 50-year-old rapper’s designs — not everyone was impressed.

Twitter users were quick to point out that the grainy pattern used on the clothing was very similar to the blocks used in the popular online game Minecraft.

The unconventional game has no specific goals, although it allows users to create worlds through blocks as they try to survive in the worlds they create.

Fans shared, “Pharrell Williams is now Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director… but I think he’s also a Minecraft fan”; ‘Louis Vuitton x Minecraft collection’; ‘Louis Vuitton does’ minecraft suits. Boooooo’;

“Who asked for the Minecraft Louis Vuitton crossover?”; ‘I don’t like the Minecraft styles of the Pharrell Williams x Louis Vuitton jackets ngl’; Irony definition: When you’re hired as the creative director of Louis Vuitton and you design a suit that looks like a Minecraft print, a few years after you lost a huge music copyright lawsuit for making music that sounds like Marvin Gaye. ‘;

‘new louis vuitton line is just minecraft inspired’; Pharrell’s pixelated design was such a fresh take on the Louis Vuitton check pattern. All in all a good debut for LV men. It’s minecraft, but make it fashion.’;

“So is the Louis Vuitton show a collaboration with Minecraft?”; “I see Pharrell went for the Minecraft aesthetic before Louis Vuitton.”

But while Pharrell has been derided for its Minecraft aesthetic, it’s not the only luxury fashion house to take inspiration from the video game.

Last year, Burberry teamed up with the gaming franchise on a unisex clothing collection – featuring a £2,000 trench coat, £430 track pants and a £350 bucket hat.

The iconic British fashion house playfully winks at the building blocks that make up the game by incorporating them into the design.

In addition to the 15-item limited edition capsule collection, costing a total of £9,640, Minecraft also created a Burberry experience for players to explore in-game.

The Minecraft video game debuted in 2011, created by Swedish game designer Markus Persson and developed by Mojang Studios.

It became an instant sensation, with more than 100 million users signing up in its first few years, leading to Microsoft’s whopping $2.5 billion acquisition of Mojang in 2014.

There have been a number of spin-offs such as Minecraft: Story Mode with Telltale Studios in 2014, Minecraft Earth in 2019, and Minecraft Dungeons in 2020.

A film adaptation of the game starring Jason Momoa is also in the works and has been given a release date of April 4, 2025.

The mixed reaction to Pharrell’s debut comes after his appointment as creative director was ridiculed by fashion enthusiasts.

The singer and producer ended months of speculation by filling the shoes of his friend Virgil Abloh, who held the job from March 2018 until his death in November 2021.

Abloh had been the industry’s most prominent black designer, credited with forging a niche for street style and casual skateboarding looks in high-end fashion.

“My brother Virgil was the first. He made so many steps in front of the house and did so many things. He brought skate culture into this world – while being an American black man. It’s surreal that I get to do this too,” Pharrell said.

LVMH Chairman and Chief Executive Bernard Arnault and his family, who have known the star for many years, have been “extremely supportive” of him in his new role, he said.

Pharrell was first introduced to the Arnault clan in a sunglasses design collaboration with Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs in 2004.

The appointment raised eyebrows despite his extensive fashion experience, including founding streetwear brands with Japanese designer Nigo and designing capsule collections at Chanel.

But Pharrell brushed off skeptics who questioned his lack of formal fashion training. “I also didn’t go to Juilliard for music and I’m fine,” he said.