Louis Vuitton Honors Virgil Abloh's Legacy With His Final SS22 Collection
A sentimental send-off to the streetwear and fashion visionary.
In memory of Virgil Abloh, who died of cancer at the age of 41 last weekend, Louis Vuitton presented the designer’s last collection in Miami for the Spring/Summer 2022 season.
“It is with profound sorrow that I learned of the passing of Virgil Abloh. Virgil was not only a friend, great collaborator, creative genius, visionary and disruptor, but also one of the best cultural communicators of our times,” Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “He paved the way for future generations. As a devoted supporter of his community through his charities and passions, he was an eternal optimist who believed anything was possible. In this same spirit, we at Louis Vuitton will proudly continue to celebrate his legacy with a final show in Miami, per his wishes.”
Friends of Abloh including Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams and more attended the show to pay tribute to the game-changing creative’s legacy. The presentation, titled “Virgil Was Here,” opened with Abloh’s voiceover talking about a return “to childhood wonderment” over a repeating visual of a red hot air balloon. Redefining conventional menswear, the late artistic director crafted a slew of outerwear pieces dressed in hues of silver, pink, blue and green, while select jackets featured a sleek gradient effect. Other highlight styles include the amorphous overcoats, which gave the illusion of the models looking smaller than their actual size. Updated iterations of the “VUITTON ROCKERS” sweater were paired with volumized bottoms, while other looks were styled with tulle skirts and oversized gloves.
The LV design team concluded the show by walking down the runway followed by a recording of Abloh’s voice: “There’s no limit. Life is so short that you can’t even waste a day subscribing to what someone thinks you can do, versus what you can do.”
