Everything
Followers of Virgil Abloh have waited for this moment since his appointment as Artistic Director to Louis Vuitton, and finally speculations have come to rest. After the announcement back in March, industry eyes have watched Abloh in anticipation for what the streetwear designer would bring to the luxury fashion house.
Thursday saw the debut of Abloh’s first Spring/Summer 2019 collection for the French company, set on a prismatic runway at the Palais Royal in Paris. Amongst celebrities like Rhianna, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, over 3,000 students lined the runway to welcome in the next chapter of Louis Vuitton.
Featured in white, beige, blue and green hues, tailoring had its moment along with psychedelic prints and bright streetwear, each of the looks planned out perfectly. Hero pieces included chained bags, plenty of unstructured blazers and utility vests, coined “accessomorphosis” in the designer’s show notes. Abloh’s signature colour accents were also found through out, on shoelaces and gloves.
It is no surprise that Abloh has always been influenced around music for his creative practice – he just debuted his new Beats 1 radio show that takes place in the LV headquarters in Paris. Further displaying his strong connection to music and the industry, artists including Steve Lacy, Dev Hynes, Kid Cudi, and Playboi Carti, all walked the runway sporting the LV threads.
Lacy walked in a sheer shirt and over-sized pants while Hynes donned a stark white trench. Cudi kept cool in a mint green ensemble and Playboi Carti closed the show in an ‘out of this world’ holographic poncho, clutching a prismatic duffle.
Multiculturalism also played its part within the show, an important aspect for the designer. Each model came from all-parts of the planet for historic show. You can view the map here.
The icing on the cake however to a truly inspiring show, was the inseparable bro-mance between Abloh and Kanye West.
As many designers take a quick bow following the finale, Abloh took the opportunity to soak it all up. He immediately made his way down the runway to his long time friend and creative collaborator, West, where they embraced in a tearful hug. We can thank Takashi Murakami who captured the entire moment.
Despite the speculations and criticism that surrounded Virgil for the majority of 2018, his success in the Spring/Summer 2019 collection has created a new era for luxury streetwear.
