VIRGIL ABLOH has been named the new menswear artistic director at Louis Vuitton. He will debut his first collection for the luxury brand in June at Paris MFW. The Off-White founder is succeeding Kim Jones, who has recently been appointed artistic director at Dior Homme.
Virgil Abloh
In a statement, Abloh said, “It is an honour for me to accept the position of men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton. I find the heritage and creative integrity of the house are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times.”
Michael Burke, Chairman and CEO at Louis Vuitton said, “Having followed with great interest Virgil’s ascent since he worked with me at Fendi in 2006, I am thrilled to see how his innate creativity and disruptive approach have made him so relevant, not just in the world of fashion but in popular culture today.”
Kim Jones’ Louis Vuitton was heavily influenced by streetwear and in 2017 the brand took a step further and collaborated with skateboarding brand Supreme. There’s no doubt Virgil Abloh will continue this merging of streetwear and luxury fashion of which he is known for, at Louis Vuitton.
by Tom Halford