STYLE MASTER GENERAL: PHARRELL

Pharrell Williams got a lot on his mind. First of all, his money. Then there's his solo album. Not to mention his style and his music. Oh yeah, and the haters, too. Sit back as the Neptune beat bully tells Toshitaka Kondo how he really feels.

Let's all be honest. The first time we saw Pharrell "$2 million for a beat, thanks" Williams, side by side with Noreaga in the "Superthug" clip- wearing a headband, yellow-tinted sunglasses, and a silk Hawaiian shirt-not a single one of us thought we were looking at the style icon of our generation. And even when he started showing up places in Dunks, a trucker hat, and a handlebar mustache, professing his love of skating and plugging his rock band, N.E.R.D., heads still weren't ready. Matter of fact, the term "weirdo" might've gotten thrown around. Now, he's looking more like an eccentric pioneer. Why? Because, well, he's rich, thanks to all the hot-ass weirdo beats he's produced. And also 'cause he's largely responsible for the popularization of the streetwear uniform rocked by cool guys coast to coast. And now, rightly so, the man is catching more than a few checks for his influence, from, among others, Louis Vuitton, A Bathing Ape, and his own lines, Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream. Complex caught up with the Neptunes' more visible half to talk about fashion, swagger jackers, being a neo-backpacker, and those damn Italian heartthrobs.

Is it possible to look at music and style separately?
Pharrell Williams: There's no listening to music if you ain't got nothing on-it goes hand in hand. You think of someone's song and you think of the video, how it was styled, and what the overall shit felt like. I don't really have a heavy fashion thing, I just wear what I like, and if it doesn't exist that's usually when I go make something. Of course, Esquire calls for a certain look that speaks to a certain set of people, as opposed to just walking around comfortable in some BAPE shit. Now a lot of people are going overboard, though, and there's allover print hoodies everywhere, but the same thing happened with trucker hats and blazers.

Since you popularized trucker hats and don't rock them anymore, could it come to a point in two or three years where you won't rock BAPE anymore?
Pharrell: No. BAPE is a brand, but it's a mentality.

What's the mentality?
Pharrell: It's just whatever we like. BAPE, BBC, and Ice Cream are the same. We're glad people like it, but we move on. BBC got  sick duck boots that we just did, and Marc Jacobs is teaching me tons of shit, and behind the scenes I'm over there at Louis Vuitton. I did a season's worth of sunglasses for LV last year, like 14 different joints. I named them after different things from Scarface. I'm learning so much about how fashion works, the business of it, and to go beyond what I like, and make shit for different individuals that would be into my shit. Everything I'm learning with LV, I'm bringing it back to my own shit. I'm doing all this incredible, fly regal-type jewelry dropping in like early '07. Most of the time jewelry is based on value, but for me, it's aesthetic.

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