Pharrell’s influence continues to reach far beyond music.
In a recent interview, newly appointed Pacers Sports & Entertainment Global Design and Product Director Jas Bell credited Pharrell with shaping the way he approaches product launches and brand storytelling. Reflecting on Pharrell’s early Billionaire Boys Club era, Bell said:
“That’s one of the things I learned from P (Pharrell Williams)… They would wear it for three, four, five, six months straight, so people would be like, ‘Man, when is it coming out?’ I think that’s like a cheat code, because as much as people are into the design style, a lot of times they’re into the people behind it.”
Bell explained that he now applies the same strategy with the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever by having athletes wear unreleased merchandise to build anticipation before it officially launches. The designer also revealed that he closely studied Pharrell during Kanye West’s 2008 Glow In The Dark Tour, describing the music icon as one of the creatives who helped shape his vision alongside the late Virgil Abloh.
