Pharrell's penchant for customizing his clothes by doodling all over them is well documented by now. The unrelenting creative, who seems to touch every industry from music to fashion to film, spoke with GQ, as part of its "Most Stylish Men Alive" issue, about how he started drawing on his clothes, why men shouldn't be afraid to rock rainbows and flowers, and the inspiration behind the practice.
Pharrell discovered that his clothes served as the perfect canvas for his drawings and started to have someone embroider on top of the work, as seen on the BBC jacket he's rocking on the cover. P will draw whatever comes to him in the moment. "It's not like I schedule this," he tells GQ. "Every once in a while I just take my pen out and doodle. They wouldn't be as good if I took 'em super seriously like I'm some artist and shit."
Pharrell also says that he looks to put messages in the drawings, like he did with this custom pair of adidas. "All I'm really trying to do is offer people information that blew me away," he explains. "It's stuff that's incredibly poetic and the messages are so deep and real and accessible to everyone." He is working on a custom item right now that reads, "THE UNIVERSE IS MADE OF THE HOLY FIRE" and speaks to his belief that "God is everywhere," he says.
The multi-hyphenate star also destroys the potentially feminine stigma surrounding things like rainbows and flowers, which he typically draws on his custom clothes. "Wow, I don't know. I'd be afraid for anyone that had a problem with a rainbow," he says before explaining why he thinks the phenomenon is so great. "And flowers—who doesn't appreciate flowers?" Pharrell asks. "Yes, women appreciate flowers. But man, if we don't have flowers the bees can't pollinate and the food chain… it's over!"
Check out other bits from GQ's issue, including a cover starring Kanye West and an interview with John Mayer about his love for fashion. You can read the whole interview with Pharrell here.
