Breaking Down Virgil Abloh's Final Louis Vuitton Presentation

Image via Getty/Pascal Le Segretain

Abloh was never shy when it came to referencing great art. Whether it was commemorating the work of graffiti pioneers such as Futura or the art of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Abloh’s final show for Louis Vuitton was rife with references by some of his favorite artists. The work of Giorgio de Chirico, who founded the metaphysical Italian art that influenced the surrealist works of artists such as Salvardor Dali, was again actualized on a number of Abloh’s garments—Chirico’s work has previously been referenced in many Off-White’s collections. In Abloh’s eighth and final show for Louis Vuitton, Chirico’s 1914 painting “Souvenir d’ Italie” was turned into tapestry fabric displayed on a range of cut and sew garments. Another painting by the 19th century realism painter Gustave Courbet, titled “The Painter’s Studio,” also received a similar treatment—Courbet’s painting was previously referenced in one of Louis Vuitton’s iconic Fall/Winter 2019 ads, where Abloh posed as Courbet for a photo that mimicked one of the artist’s most famous works. In his show notes, Abloh said the inclusion of the two paintings were meant to create “a dialogue between realism and surrealism.” The Courbet piece, which captures an artist working on a painting while being surrounded by all levels of French society, represents Abloh’s popular “Tourist vs. Purist” analogy. Whereas the Chirico painting, which is a part of the Chirico’s “Melancholia” series where the artist painted the same Italian square over and over, “reflects the topics of originality, provenance, reference and self-reference often examined by Virgil Abloh.”

Perhaps one of the most recognizable graphics seen throughout the show are cartoon characters such as the Grim Reaper, a cat holding a bindle, and a bee. According to the show notes, the cartoons are meant to “portray natural, supernatural and spiritual forces through a childlike lens and include motifs like wizards, animals, cherubs, clouds, and the Grim Reaper.” One character, depicting a cat carrying a bindle, is written to represent the “the outsider forever on the move to the next challenge.” While a bee character was included in the collection to “signify hard workers, who spend their lives collaborating for a greater cause; a movement.” Abloh’s obsession with animation is nothing new. The foundation of his Spring/Summer 2021 presentation was built off the animations of Reggieknow, who also animated looks for Abloh’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection last year. 

Additionally, a number of looks throughout the collection referenced a myriad of influences. There were pieces that seemed inspired by NBA teams like the Charlotte Hornets and LV belts with Eagle buckles that would have looked perfect on a member of Dipset—there was a whole lot of purple seen throughout the show, which felt like a subtle nod to the album art of Purple Haze. There was even a Louis Vuitton trunk turned into a boombox that looked like something straight out of Rammellzee’s studio. As expected, Abloh’s eclectic tastes in art shined within his final collection and his great tastes will surely be missed.—Lei Takanashi

Music has always been central to Virgil Abloh’s endeavors and he brought that to his projects at Louis Vuitton, whether that was having Dev Hynes and Ian Isaiah score and perform at his Fall 2019 men’s show for the house, or tapping Sa-Ra to produce a song for “The Adventures of Zoooom with Friends ”video animated by ReggieKnow. For his last show, Tyler, The Creator composed the soundtrack with arrangements by Arthur Verocai and creative direction by Benji B. The music was performed by the Chineke! orchestra that was conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Tyler wrote eight new pieces for the show and they felt distinctly Tyler. The music was whimsical, triumphant, and otherworldly with its soaring chords and booming trumpet sections. Abloh and Tyler have a history. Tyler recently revealed to Fast Company that Virgil helped him a lot with his more high-end collection, Golf Le Fleur, and Virgil regularly played Tyler’s music at his shows. Abloh ended his Spring 2020 men’s show with Tyler’s “Igor Theme.” This time around, Tyler’s “See You Again,” played by an orchestra, closed out the show. It was a beautiful way to honor Abloh’s legacy. —Aria Hughes

One of the most exciting elements of any Virgil Abloh show for Louis Vuitton is the set design. During Abloh’s time at Louis Vuitton, he took us to his own interpretations of the Yellow Brick Road, Manhattan’s graffiti-covered Lower East Side, a festive carnival, and more. Since his third Spring/Summer 2020 presentation, the Los Angeles-based creative studio Playlab Inc. has created his set designs. Once again, Playlab did not miss a beat when creating the mesmerizing set for Abloh’s final show. Dubbed the “Dreamhouse,” the set was particularly dynamic. Models effortlessly fell and bounced back on to a set of M.C. Escher-esque stairs with so much ease that it looked like a magic trick. An orchestra played a soundtrack composed by Tyler, The Creator on a long dining table with elongated chairs that first appeared in Abloh’s “Amen Break” show last season. There was an open bedroom with chairs that collapsed like vintage thumb puppet toys and the roof of a house was submerged into the ground with a smoking chimney. It was a surreal set and elements of previous Louis Vuitton shows, particularly Abloh’s Fall/Winter 2020 show, were clearly referenced. Abloh’s final runway set for Louis Vuitton was a stunning dream to get lost in and gave his final designs the send off they truly deserved. —Lei Takanashi

Everyone is already talking about the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 collaboration that has been making its way onto our timelines this week. And while that may be an early shoo-in for the best sneaker of 2022, it isn’t the only new footwear we will see from Abloh this year. This morning’s presentation introduced us to the LV Trainer 2 in six colorways. Like its predecessor that so closely resembled a retro pair of Avias, this new design also takes some obvious cues from ‘90s basketball footwear. Its rounded neoprene tongue, circular logo stamp, velcro straps, and perforated leather panels look like a cross between an Air Jordan 8 and Scottie Pippen’s Air Maestro 2. LV’s logo appears on the lateral side panel and its various flower symbols grace the midsole similar to the setup on the LV Trainer 1. 

Head of men’s footwear design, Mathias Patillon gave us our best look thus far at a white leather colorway with black accents, but a handful of others pairs could also be spotted throughout the presentation including an inverted black and white style, a black and yellow color scheme, and a purple and black nubuck pair with a hot-pink sole. Another strapless high-top also made its debut in baby blue and white/red options that more closely resemble Abloh’s original LV Trainer design. New slightly-altered iterations of the LV Trainer were also present. Aside from the sneakers, the collection also featured Abloh’s elevated interpretation of a classic work boot complete with an intricately carved midsole made to mimic the traditional cornices of palatial Parisian ceilings in a handful of colorways. One pair is even covered in embroidery and beading. Abloh’s commitment to bringing classic sportswear and lifestyle looks to the runway has been apparent since his debut collection. In what is his last collection, it’s great to see that he was still blurring those lines. —Mike DeStefano

Few luxury items are as iconic as Louis Vuitton’s leather goods. Whether it be a structured trunk or its Keepall travel bags, the monogrammed pieces have stood the test of time and remain status symbols. Of course, throughout his tenure with Louis Vuitton, Abloh has created coveted variations for a new generation to admire using the fashion house’s DNA. We have seen him use translucent PVC, metallic PVC, and even panels lit with rainbow LED lighting to transform LV’s range of bags in the past. And with what is sadly Abloh’s final collection, he made sure he introduced another batch of boundary-pushing designs. Some bags featured a blurred take on the LV monogram. Others opted for airbrushed crocodile leather. The see-through element was revisited on Damier Keepalls that alternated between translucent and brown monogram checkers. Flowers also had a big presence, used more elegantly on hand painted pieces and in a more whimsical way when colorful monogrammed leather formed into flowers poking out of the bags. Adding to the more eccentric approach were handbags adorned with colorful pieces that looked like they were torn from a rock climbing wall to represent climbing into Heaven, leather paint buckets, and a shearling purple and pink Keepall. Each style perfectly articulates the Boyhood Ideology, something Abloh defines in the official show notes as, “the unspoiled outlook of a child, who is yet to be affected by the preconceived ideas of society.” While these styles may not be as timeless as a brown leather monogram bag, they are all uniquely Abloh, and will help define his era with the brand for years to come. —Mike DeStefano

Leaning into his streetwear sensibilities, baseball caps were another big element of Abloh’s presentation in Paris. All were worn crooked ever so slightly, a likely nod to a styling largely popularized by hip-hop that just a handful of years ago may have seemed an impossibility to appear on a Louis Vuitton runway. Some of the styles, accented by an adjustable tan leather strap, were simply covered in LV’s monogram print. Their oversized appearance was made to resemble the look of a modern-day top hat. Others featured non-traditional additions, like pointed ears. There were even riffs on cycling caps in LV logos that look like they were ripped straight out of a vintage boutique. A pinstriped cap that read Malletier (French for “trunk maker”) accompanied by an illustration of an alligator or cap with asymmetrical color blocking and collegiate-style script made clear nods to popular snapbacks from the ‘90s from brands like Starter or Sports Specialities. It’s clear that Abloh wanted to pay homage to the B-boys and hip-hop golden era with this collection. The attention to detail he put into the headwear made the vision that much clearer. —Mike DeStefano