Following on from the release of his Hu collection in September, the creative polymath that is Pharrell Williams is gearing up to launch his adidas Originals Hu Holiday collection — and he’s given us the first look. Speaking to i-D about the starting point for this new collection, Skateboard P described it as “A celebration of humanity and diversity across the globe. The graphic features take inspiration from the interplay of organic and mathematical forms that can be seen throughout nature.”
Hu represents Pharrell’s vision of connecting people through love, passion, energy, and color. “Hu is short for human — human being, human race, humankind,” he says. “But Hu is also a reference to color. As human beings, we all have a color. We all look different, we all speak different languages, but we’re all connected.”
For the first Hu collection Pharrell spent time with the people of the Native American MHA Nation, and will continue to use his platform to share diverse voices and different cultures with the world. “Through discovery and authentic storytelling of these indigenous ways of life, we are revitalizing the past by bringing it back into the future/now,” he says. “Through education, understanding the past, and being the bridge to the future, this allows us to emerge as the new generation.”
Pharrell believes that fashion can be a powerful force for good. “Fashion and design are a form of communication. They have a voice and, more importantly, an audience who are attentive to that voice,” he says. Hu’s axiom is ‘Play for the human race’, which the artist believes we can do only by being “connected with one another. Being empowered by what we are and who we are.”
Take a look at the campaign, photographed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch, and start planning your wishlist — the collection drops on November 17.
Credits
Text Clementine de Pressigny
Images courtesy of adidas Originals = Pharrell Williams Hu Holiday collection