Fashion House Chanel & Music Artist/Designer Pharrell Williams Drop World’s Most Exclusive Sneakers

PARIS — Luxury fashion house, Chanel and music artist/designer Pharrell Williams dropped the world’s most exclusive sneakers.

This past Tuesday (November 21), Colette celebrated the launch of the very exclusive Pharrell x Chanel x Adidas Hu NMD sneaker. This shoe retail for $1,160 and are available exclusively via a random draw through Colette‘s website. Only 500 pairs were made and have a predicted resale value of $40,000.

These sneakers were designed by Williams in collaboration with Chanel and adidas Originals, as an offshoot of his ongoing collaboration with the German sporting goods firm.

Sarah Andelman, creative director and purchasing manager at Colette said, “Officially, it’s the first time to my knowledge that the Chanel name has appeared on a product made by another brand, so it’s true that this makes it something very special”.

A bailiff will select 500 people, who will receive confirmation e-mails today Thursday (November 23) with instructions for purchasing the shoes.

In an interview with WWD, Williams said he expected the Chanel sneakers could go for up to $40,000 on the resale market.

Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at Chanel, described the collaboration as a “gift” for Colette, which is closing its doors for good on Dec. 20.

“It was a dream they both had to be able to do something like that very quickly, and it’s true that it happened very easily, very quickly and quite spontaneously, and that’s why everyone is happy to see this,” Pavlosky said. “I am incapable of telling you if it can happen again or not. We function according to our wishes.”

The executive stopped short of calling the sneaker the world’s most exclusive. “That would be good,” he said with a smile. “In any event, it is the most in-demand sneaker of the day. The orders are from all over the world, which demonstrates the planetary aura of Pharrell, Karl and Chanel.”

Williams sat down with WWD for an interview. Below are some excerpts. Read the full interview over at WWD.

WWD: You’ve done absolutely everything with Chanel. Did it feel like designing product was the missing link in your relationship with the brand?

Pharrell Williams: You could say that it was, but I didn’t think that. I just was happy to try it, you know. I’ve been honored to just work with them as long as we have, doing all the different things that we have, and to have them jump out the window and do sneakers with me was so cool.

WWD: I think it’s the first time Chanel has collaborated with another brand, because this links them with Adidas through you.

P.W.: Yes.

WWD: So you’re breaking ground for a brand with a history of more than 100 years. How does that feel?

P.W.: Crazy.

WWD: Can you share any details about the process of designing the sneaker?

P.W.: We picked five different designs and these are the ones that Karl liked, the ones that said “Chanel” and “Pharrell,” which I was honored by, because he could have picked any of the other ones that just said “Chanel.”

WWD: You’ve customized your pair. Can you tell us about all the different messages you have written on your shoes?

P.W.: Well, “Women’s Rights” is, like, the number-one thing, right? You guys deserve to get paid as much as men do. Then there’s another message that says: “God Is the Greatest.” And “Others First.”

Photos Credit: Dominique Maître via WWD | @showmeyourstripes

Source: WWD