Virgil Abloh Joins Louis Vuitton: What to Expect

Virgil Abloh joins Louis Vuitton as its menswear designer in-charge.

@VirgilAbloh joins #LouisVuitton. Louis Vuitton is delighted to welcome Virgil Abloh as its new Men’s Artistic Director. His first show will take place in June during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris.

A post shared by Louis Vuitton Official (@louisvuitton) on Mar 25, 2018 at 11:00pm PDT

Virgil Abloh made waves with his high-end streetwear brand, Off-White, and produced arguably the best sneaker collection last year with Nike. Now as Abloh joins Louis Vuitton as its menswear designer – a career-defining move – what will he bring to the table? We let our imaginations run wild.

1) “Outside the box” creativity

The designer will bring a new school of creativity to Louis Vuitton’s menswear

What is striking about Abloh is that he never had a formal education in fashion, but his architectural background as well as his acumen for what people want to be wearing has made him a force to be reckoned with. Abloh’s unconventional ideas coupled with the platform that Louis Vuitton will grant him means the sky is the limit where creativity is concerned, and great expectations are to be had.

2) More collaborations

Abloh’s collaborations have turned out to be big successes, with the Nike partnership being a particular standout

Abloh is a serial collaborator having worked with brands such as Kith, Nike and Fragment design. After Kim Jones masterminded the massive LV collaboration with Supreme, the French fashion house must be looking for more of the same with Virgil now at the helm.

3) Bridging the gap between streetwear and high fashion

Abloh joins Louis Vuitton with a reputation for bridging the gap between streetwear and high fashion

Off-White is one example of a fashion label that taps on the business models of streetwear brands like Supreme, what with its limited edition runs and hyped releases. Abloh at the forefront of LV as the menswear designer lead will help to capture a whole new audience for the luxury brand – or at least build on the interest the streetwear set has developed for the brand in the aftermath of the Supreme collaboration.

4) Extending Louis Vuitton’s reach

Abloh has plenty of celebrity friends and their support could see Louis Vuitton flourish

Abloh’s work has garnered him a steady stream of A-lister supporters. Not to take anything away from Louis Vuitton’s status in the fashion industry, but the pull will only be greater with such an influential figure at the helm. Even his predecessor Kim Jones has lauded his appointment.

5) Buzzing fashion shows

The designer’s first collection with Louis Vuitton might arrive sooner than you think

Abloh’s first collection might arrive as early as this June, according to LV’s Instagram post that also announced the appointment of Abloh as head of menswear design. If Abloh’s Off-White Fall 2018 show is anything to go by, expect lots of hype from forthcoming Louis Vuitton fashion shows – hopefully there’ll be no riots though.

Did you find the appointment of Virgil Abloh by Louis Vuitton surprising? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Featured image: Sleek Mag