Virgil Abloh and Nigo have re-teamed for another round of LV², a collaborative effort that sees both truly singular artists reinterpreting the Louis Vuitton aesthetic.
For Pre-Spring 2022, Louis Vuitton has launched its second “Louis Vuitton squared” collection, which continues the creative conversation between the two artists that began with much fanfare last year. The second go-around sees Abloh and Nigo expanding on their exchange by celebrating Vigo’s Japanese provenance, the “inherent tapestry” of his style upbringing, and the “geo-specific gaze” on the Western men’s wardrobe that he says was instilled in him as a child.
“When I asked [Nigo] what we should name these next pair of sunglasses we did, he sent a 1 word replay…. ‘ZILLIONAIRES,’” Abloh said when sharing a selection of lifestyle images of the new collab on Friday.
Brought together here are Western 1950s and ’60s tailoring silhouettes and Japanese sensibilities. Fans will also notice the presence of the red hearts key in the graphics used by Nigo’s Human Made label.
The first batch of LV² marked Abloh’s first collaboration since arriving at Louis Vuitton, with the Off-White founder telling i-D in 2020 that Nigo’s influence on his creative work goes back at least 15 years.
“All of the things that he was making were made in Japan, and were as well crafted as work made in France or Italy,” Abloh said at the time. “I think that really struck me and sort of framed how I thought about design, and that’s evident in my design style today.”
Below, get a closer look at the next chapter of Abloh x Nigo’s LV² journey.
