Pharrell Williams’ latest Adidas Originals Hu NMD silhouette collaboration with Chanel launched at high-end Parisian boutique Colette‘s online shop on Tuesday. To celebrate the launch, Pharrell paid a visit to the boutique on Monday where a live-action painting by FUTURA 2000 was being held in the space.
Pharrell, Karl and JT
The superstar wore a customized pair of the highly-limited sneakers, boasting doodles of positive messages such as “OTHERS FIRST” lettering. Justin Timberlake was the first to snag a pair, posing with Williams and Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld.
The resale value of the Adidas Originals NMD Hu shoe shot up to USD$32,000 after some 120,000 people pre-registered for the opportunity to buy one of the 500 pairs on sale, according to Sarah Andelman, creative director and purchasing manager at Colette.
“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.” – Sarah Andelman
In an interview with WWD, Williams said he expected the Chanel sneakers could go for up to $40,000 on the resale market, noting that the recent Adidas collaboration with his collective N.E.R.D. – released exclusively at the ComplexCon event this month – was already being offered for USD$10,000.
But he was philosophical about the sneaker craze. “At the end of the day, they’re just shoes,” he mused.
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. Chanel plans to donate profits from the pop-up to charities supported by the Chanel Foundation, which aims to support women as agents of social change throughout the world.
Check out Pharell’s customised kicks in the gallery above.
