It’s been almost three weeks since Louis Vuitton announced the passing of Virgil Abloh who was the creative director of menswear. It was Virgil’s dying wish for the show that he was working on to continue. His final show took place in at the Maritime Marina in Miami and was attended by his best friend Kanye West, Kim, Pharell Wiliams, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky and other fashion and music heavy hitters.
Virgil received a masters degree in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and decided to take his place in the world of fashion. He was one of the first black men to intern at Fendi along with Kanye West and from there he went on to establish his own luxury designer brand, Off White. He accepted the position of director of menswear at Louis Vuitton in 2019 and made history doing so as the first black man to hold this coveted position. Virgil brought so much color to Louis Vuitton and this was apparent in his final show. Colorful ombre pieces in rainbow and electric hues as well as checkered prints were featured down the natural runway.
This runway was lined with beautiful birch trees and this was a highlight of the show. A sparkling two piece jade colored damier checker print suit was a stunning standout.
There was an abundance of attention to detail done to perfection. I especially loved the scalloped edge white blazer jacket and coat.
The show embodied exactly what Vuitton CEO, Michael Burke and Abloh envisioned three years ago—a coming of age theme and a celebration of the enormous impact that Virgil had on younger generations. It was also an aim through his fashion and designs to help adults rediscover their youthful curiosity, imagination and sense of wonderment. Virgil once said that everything that he designed was for the 17-year-old version of himself.
Each musical track played so eloquently as the male models walked down the runways to the tune of tracks that were heavy on the beat. The lyrics to the opening song, Golden was very specific to the occasion—a celebration of Virgil’s golden years, his life and work. “All those golden years forever kept containin’ in my past. Where am I supposed to go? How am I supposed to leave? Look at what's in front of me. I'm lookin' for a path to lead.” It’s a reminder to those of us who are still here to look at what’s in front of you and to find the path where you can lead as Abloh was able to do, albeit, ever so briefly.
The show marked the end of an era—an era where Virgil’s creativity was given free reign. To see it come to an abrupt close with this show was very emotional and bittersweet. Louis Vuitton spared no expense and gave Abloh the tribute that he deserved. A red hot air balloon with a lit fire also stood out in the background amongst the beautiful runway that was lined with birch trees. Towards the end, the audience watched as apple colored drones lit up a dark blue sky and outlined the words, “Virgil was here.”
The show ended with a picturesque fireworks show. A sculpture was was created by Louis Vuitton in Abloh's image. What a fitting way to capture him! He had a way with utilizing color.
Virgil was here on this earth and he carved out his path in history while breaking boundaries. He’ll forever be remembered in hearts of many.
#Mechelle Eleene #Virgil Abloh #fashion #fashionshow
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