In Hong Kong, Pharrell Williams talks us through his first pre-fall show for Louis Vuitton

There is the serious intrinsic value, which is “well made.” And well made for me isn’t just the way that something is assembled, it’s also the materials that one is using. It’s also not just what you’re using, it’s how you use it. That to me is a true new definition of luxury. Last time I said my definition of luxury is convenience. But it’s also how it is done. And the stories that we tell around the how. That’s what shows you why something is valuable.

It looks like there’s a lot of you in this collection; pearls, the net LV pattern, Neptune, the silhouette of the tailoring…

It’s important to do that, especially if you’re going to be authentic to your ambitions. I started wearing pearls, maybe 20-something years ago. And it was because it just dawned on me that—I don’t even know if you call it a stone, and it’s to me a jewel—the pearl is the one jewel that is generated by an organism. Diamonds are about carbon, pressure, heat. But pearls are about life. It’s beautiful.

What about surfing? Is that an element of your identity too? Is there surf on Virginia Beach?

Yeah, they surf, they do. I don’t—I haven’t learned yet. I never really grasped the idea of falling off the board, into the water. But it’s beautiful. And I used to bodyboard back in the day. But standing on it?

Now that you’ve been in Paris with LV for a while, how is your understanding of the role growing?

I wish I had a much better answer, but really I’m just enjoying myself. I haven’t really stopped. I’m still on it: still on the roller coaster. Someone on a rollercoaster will be able to tell you that they’re having a lot of fun, but they can only tell you the view from their seat. But it’s absolutely fascinating and exhilarating.

Tell us about bringing the second show to Hong Kong.

Coming here to Asia was important. My Asian siblings have always been good to me… since the very beginning of my career this was a community that has lifted me and always championed me to keep going. It’s like when I met Nigo, my life changed. So I wanted the very next stop to be Asia.