South African retailer Woolworths has hired Pharrell as the style director for sustainability-focused projects. The partnership was made public at a press conference in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon.

"Williams is a global icon for social cohesion, advancement through education and environmental awareness," said Ian Moir, the CEO of Woolworths. "These same values lie a the heart of our business and form the foundation on which this partnership is built.

"We hope Pharrell will help us make sustainability cool for the next generation of South Africans and help us create a better future for our children, our country and our planet," Moir continued.

Pharrell will be working with Woolworths and MySchool to help raise $100 million for schools in need across South Africa and will be working with students to design Woolies Bionic Yarn clothing. Students will also get the opportunity to perform live with Pharrell during the artist's MySchool concert tour of South Africa.

"[The Earth] is this big rock, it's the only thing we have," Pharrell told Independent Media. It's our biosphere, it's where we live...we have to think about it. To have a corporation like Woolworths understand that and for them to have the kind of matching initiative in South Africa, in the middle of that precious gem and continent...I have to be a part of that."

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