HUMAN KIND: Best fashion friends Nigo and Pharrell Williams are even tighter now that Williams has been named an adviser at the Japanese designer’s Human Made brand.
“He didn’t have an official role and I thought it was time to make it official that he’s actually advising on the direction of the brand,” Nigo told WWD on the sidelines of a preview appointment for Kenzo, where he’s been artistic director since 2021.
Nigo revealed Williams’ new title on his Instagram account last week, without elaboration.
“I’ve really just started talking about it with Pharrell now in this position, and Brian Donnelly [known professionally as Kaws] is also an adviser,” Nigo told WWD. “So now the three of us are officially going to have this responsibility and we’re going to start working out plans.”
Nigo noted that Williams has been an investor in Human Made since its 2010 launch, and “the brand is going great guns at the moment.”
The brand’s business is roughly split between international markets and Japan, where there are six freestanding stores, including one that stocks other lines, including “some things from Kaws” and Wasted Youth, the fashion brand of graphic designer Verdy, a recent Kenzo collaborator, Nigo said.
A serial fashion entrepreneur and pioneering figure on the streetwear scene, Nigo was the founder of A Bathing Ape, with which he is no longer associated.
He also partnered with Williams to launch the streetwear brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, and worked for Uniqlo as creative director for its UT range. In recent years Human Made unfurled collaborations with the likes of Adidas Originals, Kaws, Levi’s and Verdy.
Williams also has his fingers in many design pies beyond his award-winning music career, most notably as men’s creative director of Louis Vuitton, the Joopiter online auction platform, and his wellness brand Humanrace.
Nigo is to unveil his fall 2024 men’s and women’s collections for Kenzo on Friday as part of men’s fashion week in Paris.