The artist and singer Pharrell Williams is a consistently chic front row fixture. Earlier today at Chanel’s runway show, Williams displayed his latest look: a kind of high fashion take on granddad style. The singer has always dressed in his own idiosyncratic way—consider the optic white, Maharaja-inspired Chanel ensemble he wore at this year’s Golden Globes or the camouflage teddy bear coat he donned for a shopping trip in Los Angeles. This past week in Paris, however, Williams debuted a more mature look with a relaxed silhouette that was grounded by fresh kicks.
While receiving L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres on Monday, Williams kept things subtle in a slouchy, constructor stripe suit, which was given a dose of the singer’s quirky styling tricks thanks to Billionaire Boys Club–printed socks and Williams’s own take on the Adidas Stan Smith. Subtle and sophisticated, Williams’s ensemble was a study in Old World refinement in a modern silhouette.
But at today’s Chanel show, Williams put a dressy yet cozy slant to his approach. A striped Chanel cardi-coat offset a washed-out sweatshirt and track pants for a sporty spin on grandpa’s staple sweater. Completing the ensemble were equally mature accessories—a knit beanie, oversize shades—that in Williams’s case proved to be an ideal high fashion finish.