Pharrell Williams for WSJ’s September 2014 Men’s Style Issue.

Suave..

 
Pharrell Williams for WSJ’s September 2014 Men’s Style Issue.

On Finding His Purpose
 “I think when I put out my first solo album, the music was just eclipsed by all the braggadocio. That was me feeling like I had to be like Jay or Puff. I didn’t realize that that was their story—the story of the struggle to will your way out of where you’re from, to cash in on that, first for yourself, then for other people. But I didn’t see that. All I saw was the planes, the cars, the girls—the ornaments but not the tree they were hanging on. I was making music with and for Jay-Z and Puff, but I was a weirdo in that world. It took me a minute to find my purpose; I knew something was missing. Now I want to make music with something extra to it. I want to make it feel good.
On His Status As A Fashion Icon
“It embarrasses me a bit to be a figure in fashion. I think everyone is interested in what they put on, even if you dress conservatively. Whatever you’re trying to mask, the mask itself says something about your personality.”
On That Infamous Vivienne Westwood Hat
“Give Vivienne Westwood the accolade. I bought it in London years ago. I just liked it. I’m as surprised as anybody else that it became a thing.”