Jackson Wang and Pharrell Williams Rev Up With Racing-themed Collection
RACE DAY: Jackson Wang and Pharrell Williams got a jumpstart on Paris men's fashion week with a stylish Sunday night soiree.
The garden party celebrated the new collaboration between Wang's Team Wang Design and Williams' Billionaire Boys Club, as well as the launch of an exclusive auction on Williams' platform, Joopiter.
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The collection featured three racing-themed pieces. But this wasn't about jumping on the F1 bandwagon. For Wang, the collection carried deeper meaning.
'Every single drop, there's a message from me,' Wang told WWD. 'We're talking about life is a race, but your own race. You don't have to compete with anybody else. It's about challenging yourself every single time. I'm competing with myself.'
That has become his personal philosophy since he took a year off in 2023 when he turned 30.
'I felt like I was missing out on so much,' he said, reflecting on a decade in the spotlight as part of K-pop group GOT7. 'I didn't even have time to think, like 'Am I the Jackson that people think I am, or am I the Jackson that I think I am?''
Despite warnings from business executives that taking time off could be a career killer in the fast-paced world of K-pop when new albums are anticipated roughly twice a year, Wang stepped away.
'People would say, 'You are gonna lose the fame because you're not active anymore,' but at the end of the day, I felt like I really needed that [time] to be able to know who I am and make sure the things that I put out are exactly me.'
(Judging by the few hundred fans gathered outside the event's gates cheering and hoping to catch a glimpse of him, it's safe to say that didn't happen.)
That reflective period helped shape a new mindset of acceptance and self-improvement. After discussions with both the BBC and Team Wang Design teams, the group landed on the idea of using Wang's philosophy to create a race-themed capsule.
The TWD line is 'basically Jackson's closet, and all our collaborations are just 'Jackson and friends,'' he joked. The latest drop marks the second time Wang and Williams have worked together on a project, after last summer's 'East Meets West' collaboration, and Wang noted that he now considers Williams not just a creative partner but a mentor, too.
'I'm becoming more and more like a student and he's a mentor,' Wang said of working Williams. 'He tells it to you straight — like a bullet to the heart — and he teaches me a lot of acceptance.'
The capsule includes a long-sleeved T-shirt, a moto-inspired hoodie and a biker jacket. Versions of the T-shirt and jacket signed by both Wang and Williams are being auctioned on Joopiter with proceeds going to Williams' nonprofit organization Black Ambition.
'It's been a pleasure to welcome Jackson Wang into the Joopiter universe once again, this time collaborating with BBC,' Williams said. Wang noted that this drop is just one of many 'in the pipeline.'
With more fashion plans on the horizon, Wang is anticipating the release of 'Magic Man 2,' set for July 18. It's a raw, deeply personal project.
'Every lyric is straight from my diaries,' Wang said. The album unpacks his emotional baggage around society, the music industry, relationships, and the realities of becoming an adult. 'It's the process of growing up, dealing with emotions, dealing with every realistic element of life,' he said.
Joopiter will also host 'The Jackson Wang Experience,' auctioning off three lots, each of which include spending a day with the artist, with an activity TBD but possibilities include a studio session or a music video shot. All items are available through July 2.
Other guests included Rowoon, Diplo and Saint Jhn, as a DJ spun plenty of K-pop with songs from Blackpink and NewJeans on the playlist. Guests sipped 'Magic Man'-themed cocktails with Chivas whiskey.
Fashion week kicks off Tuesday with Williams' Louis Vuitton show anchoring the first evening.
Launch Gallery: Pharrell Williams and Jackson Wang Celebrate Capsule Collection Ahead of Paris Fashion Week
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