Virgil Abloh‘s final collection for Louis Vuitton debuted at Paris Fashion Week on Thursday.
Abloh, the brand’s menswear creative director, died at age 41 in November last year after being diagnosed with cancer.
Abloh’s wife, Shannon, and model, Naomi Campbell, sat front row as models showed off Abloh’s final collection by dancing and maneuvering around a stage, which featured a large bed, a red roof complete with a chimney and light smoke effects.
In another part of the show, models danced and strutted in Abloh’s oversized caps, buckled trench coats, skirts, washed-out denim jeans, and his original sneaker design, including the Tactic and Trainer.
At the end of the presentation, the entire LV team stepped out and hugged the models and each other as they helped complete another one of Abloh’s visions.
The final procession of white-clad models fitted with angelic lacewings reiterated who Abloh was and acknowledged the designer’s immeasurable impact and his lasting legacy.
Celebrities Venus Williams, Victor Cruz, and Tyler The Creator were also there to celebrate the late designers’ clothing line.
The fall/winter 2022 showcase is the latest effort to honor Abloh’s creative vision. The Paris fashion show was meant to “consolidate the themes and messages of [Abloh’s] eight-season arc,” Louis Vuitton said in a statement.
Last year, the “Virgil Ws Here” show held in Miami was only the first in a series of Abloh homages that LV’s planning. The show featured his spring/summer 2022 Louis Vuitton menswear collection, which was modeled by artists he worked with in the past, like Offset, Quavo, and Kid Cudi.
In a news release on Wednesday, Sotheby’s announced that they’d be collaborating with LV to auction off 200 pairs of Louis Vuitton x Nike “Air Force 1” sneakers designed by Abloh that were originally created for the Spring/Summer Men’s collection.
Potential buyers can bid on the limited-edition sneakers that are made from “precious calf leather” and are “embellished with Louis Vuitton’s emblematic Monogram and Damier patterns with natural cowhide piping.” They also come in an orange Louis Vuitton pilot made of Monogram Taurillon Leather. The auction will be from Jan. 26 to Feb. 8.
According to Sotheby’s, the proceeds from the auction will benefit the Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund, which in partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund, supports the education of academically promising students of Black, African American, or African descent.”
