SCAD Atlanta presents Pharrell Williams with Andre Leon Talley award
Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta made producer Pharrell Williams happy on Tuesday night.
The art school presented the multitalented singer, songwriter and fashion designer with the Andre Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award at SCADshow, SCAD’s performing arts theater. The ceremony was part of the premiere of “Andre Leon Talley: Style is Forever,” an installation featuring some of the late Vogue magazine creative director’s Met Gala costumes, capes, accessories and photographs.
The installation opens today at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion and Film and runs through March 1.
Williams, a 13-time Grammy winner known for hits like “Frontin” and “Happy,” was given the award for his work spanning entertainment and fashion. In 2023, he became men’s creative director for French luxury brand Louis Vuitton.
The Virginia Beach native is also the founder of a creative consultancy i am OTHER, skin care company Humanrace and the Black Ambition Prize to support Black and Latino-owned startups. He also founded a nonprofit, YELLOW, that supports youth through equal opportunities in education.
In his acceptance speech, Williams told the audience the honor allowed him to set an example for future designers and artists.
“I can’t believe I’m here. I don’t know what I’m doing, but it’s a reminder to keep lifting others, make spaces for new voices and keep believing human creativity is the energy that moves the world forward,” Williams said.
“This is a place that not only celebrates creativity. It protects it and teaches artists to build careers from imagination. That made this moment even more meaningful to me.”
Williams emphasized education, time management and priorities later in his speech. He said making records or apparel come from his intuition.
“Every song, collection or idea I’ve ever had has come from quietness, curiosity and trusting what I can’t yet see,” Williams told the crowd. “Be confident in your potential, ignore the distractions and avoid them. That perspective can open doors that everyone else has stopped knocking on.”
A video presentation featured Williams and Talley interacting at the Met Gala in 2007. He said Talley had no problem giving his opinion on what people wore.
“When Andre walked into a room, you felt him before you saw him. You needed to be ready to hear whatever it is he had to say,” Williams said.
“He used color, confidence and courage all at once, but his energy didn’t come from ego. It came from authenticity and believing in the beauty of his own expression.”
SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace was friends with Talley for 25 years. She recalled Talley connecting students with fashion brands, designers and chaperoning them on field trips.
Wallace and Talley regularly wrote letters to each other until he died in 2022. One expressed his interest in recognizing Williams for his multi-hyphenate career, Wallace told the audience. “That fine day has arrived. Andre recognized in Pharrell a kindred spirit and rare polymathic genius that elevates every creative enterprise,” she said.
Singer, songwriter and producer The-Dream presented Williams with the award, which was followed by a fireside chat.
For a half hour, Williams and The-Dream spoke about the influence of church on their songwriting; friendship; identity; having a support system and collaborating with artists like Beyoncé and Rihanna.
The-Dream, who cowrote and produced “Umbrella” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” told the audience success comes from humility. “Always be open to people pushing you to be great and the next level of yourself,” he said.
“The best days I’ve had are when I can give my mixers, engineers, (old and new) songwriters something to catapult their life. What matters and makes me happy is that the other person gets to shine.”
Students and alumni in attendance were encouraged by the remarks.
Andre Haskett, an Atlanta native who graduated from SCAD in 2023, studied acting there. He appreciated hearing Williams and The-Dream encouraging students to persevere.
“They’ve made it, and there’s nothing like getting advice from someone who’s done it. It’s an honor to be here surrounded by so many talented, hard-working people,” Haskett said.
Nathaniel Whitaker, a 2027 master’s candidate studying business innovation from Portsmouth, Virginia, is developing his startup Afroworld, a Black theme park. He said hearing about the producers’ relationship to church made their stories relatable.
“I jumped out my seat, because I grew up a preacher’s kid. It blew my mind,” Whitaker said.
Wallace Harrison, a senior from Atlanta studying photography, said he respects seeing entertainers continue their education.
“They were creative with their responses and insights on how to navigate this world. It’s great to know someone will always come back to learn in a different position from music. It was a beautiful thing to hear him (The-Dream) use himself as a resource,” Harrison said.
Williams hopes the students keep creating. “Your voice matters more than you know. If you don’t experiment or get uncomfortable, you’re going to do what you’ve always been doing and get put into a box,” he told them.
“Your weird ideas that your parents and professors question are what you lean into, because the unknown is where new things come from.”
About the Author
Christopher A. Daniel is a Black Culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is an Atlanta-based, award-winning journalist, cultural critic and ethnomusicologist. He previously taught courses at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Georgia State University.
