Is Pharrell the Most Important Celebrity in Fashion?

His style is too legit to quit

By Diana Nguyen Mar 04, 2015 12:49 AMTags
ESC, Pharrell Style Top PostKailey Strachan for E! Online

It was the hat seen around the world.

But even though Pharrell Williams' voluminous topper of 2014 Grammys glory sparked countless of memes and will be remembered in history, the "Happy" crooner has been pushing style boundaries for years.

In fact, it could be argued that he's the most important celebrity in fashion right now (hold for Kanye rant).

Pharrell, in more cases than not, will surprise on the red carpet with some seemingly bizarre outfit, but a closer look reveals pushed boundaries and crossed gender lines.

Like Prince in his Purple Rain days, Pharrell doesn't look like a typical soul and R&B singer-songwriter and producer. His style choices don't seem to be based on how much attention he can get but rather are genuine expressions of his personality.

"I get my style from just random people, everyday people, like, construction is interesting to me," he told Style.com. "Everyday things, you know, service uniforms, sports, skateboarding, normcore, grandma sweaters, all of that stuff is interesting to me."

The custom Chanel chains that have become his signature were recast in gold and made with jade and large pearls. It's a delicate, modern take on the gold chains prevalent in the music industry. Clearly, he's not afraid to accessorize. Cat-eye sunglasses? He wears them with confidence. He's also not afraid to wear pink, mix prints and think big (again, that hat).

Fashion rules don't apply to him. The 41-year-old wore a short suit to the Oscars, after all. He stays true to what he likes—comfort with a designer twist. His uniform consists of ripped jeans, a tee or sweatshirt, accessories and a good, ol' hat, yet we're always talking about his style. This is what makes him a true innovator.

"Music will always be my first love," Williams told W magazine. "But the one thing I've learned is that this life is a movie and I am a cocreator."

Considering his crazy accessories and crazy-addictive music, we can forget Pharrell is a legitimate purveyor of fashion. In 2005, he co-founded two premium streetwear brands, Billionaire Boys Club and IceCream. A few years later, he helped design jewelry and sunglasses for Louis Vuitton and created an entire line of sunnies for luxury brand Moncler.

In 2014, Pharrell partnered up with several fashion giants, including G-Star, Uniqlo and Adidas, and incorporated his eco-conscious textile company Bionic Yarn. Oh yeah, he also launched a fragrance with Comme des Garçons. He doesn't just endorse but creates the demand in a billion-dollar industry—and supplies it too.

Finally, for every "weird" thing he wears, there's a personal rhyme or reason behind it. And that's music to our ears.