Almost three years after stepping into his role as men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams has received a major honor from French President Emmanuel Macron.
Per Vanity Fair, the producer and fashion icon was awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) during a private ceremony held on Friday (Jan. 23) at Paris’ Élysée Palace. The event was attended by Future, Pusha T, Quavo, and others. Williams’ wife of thirteen years, Helen Lasichanh — with whom he shares four children — was also present to support him.
Williams was first announced as a recipient on July 14, 2025, joining a prestigious list of past honorees that includes the late anti-apartheid leader and South African president Nelson Mandela and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. With the thirteen-time Grammy winner now officially knighted, the recognition highlights his worldwide impact on luxury fashion.
In his remarks, Macron praised Williams as someone whose “creation is never confined to a single art.”
The French president went on to say Louis Vuitton chose Williams “for your irreverence, your boundless creativity, and your total commitment.”
He added, “And from the very first year, you delivered with a spectacular debut collection, unveiled during a landmark show on the Pont Neuf, transformed for the occasion into a golden stage.”
The honor came just three days after Williams unveiled Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection in Paris, where his expansive winter garden concept — along with unreleased music featuring Quavo, ASAP Rocky, and John Legend — drew immediate buzz.
Elsewhere in his speech, Macron said it would be “impossible” to fully list Williams’ many achievements. “You have the rare ability to live a thousand passions within a single lifetime,” he said. “You managed to do so because you are incredibly talented, but also thanks to your steadfast discipline that could intimidate even an Olympic athlete. A five a.m. wake-up call. Five hundred sit-ups. Meditation. A hot bath, a cold shower—and sometimes even a burst of songwriting in the bathroom itself.”
Macron also pointed to “gratitude” as the driving force behind Williams’ constant growth, alongside his “daily rigor.” “Gratitude for the journey that brought you here, allowing you, despite worldwide recognition, to remain the humble, witty, and deeply human creator so admired by your teams,” he said.
