NEW YORK (AFP) - Pharrell Williams, the pop culture renaissance man who is a designer, performer and hit songwriter, was named Tuesday as co-owner of jeans brand G-Star Raw.

The company, based in Amsterdam and Los Angeles, said that Williams would be involved in design but also in decisions on business strategy and advertising.

“G-Star is an independently minded and forward-thinking company. I believe they will be the definitive jeans brand of the 21st century,” Williams said in a statement.

Williams, whose financial terms and time commitment to the brand were not disclosed, has been involved in fashion for years including as a co-founder of the Japanese clothing maker Billionaire Boys Club.

Through another of his projects, Bionic Yarn, Williams has worked with G-Star Raw to design a line of jeans whose denim is produced from plastic bottles found in the ocean.

G-Star Raw said that eco-friendly initiatives would be a key focus with Williams, who has been outspoken on environmental protection.

Williams, 42, made his name as part of the duo The Neptunes and became a behind-the-scenes producer and songwriter to major pop acts including Madonna, Britney Spears and Shakira.

Williams in recent years has become a star in his own right with the globally viral hit “Happy.”