Virgil Abloh's Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2022 runway show in Miami wasn't a memorial but a jubilant celebration of his legacy, packed with fans and friends alike.
It goes without saying that Abloh's impact can't be understated. Any attempt to simply codify his influence into a mere runway show would be foolish.
That being said, his Louis Vuitton design team valiantly offered a worthy ode to Abloh by way of a comprehensive survey of his time at the house, poring over all eras of Abloh's output and including some of his more recent creations.
From the soon-to-be iconic Louis Vuitton Air Force 1 to collarless blazers pleated into a skirt-like waisline, nearly all of Abloh's major creations return in some form or another.
It's not that the runway show is references only, of course — there are new patterns and prints in place of signature statement items like the Prism Keepall and wide-brimmed hats.
These silhouettes did return some form or another, though — new iterations of the Jamiroquai-inspired caps and duffels appeared alongside other fresh pieces, like knit sweaters that extended into head-covering shrouds and mesh monogrammed sets.
Tie-dye, scalloped edges, metallic silver leather, puffy knee-high sneakers, suiting framed by crystalline appliqué, and hockey-inspired gloves: Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2022 isn't for the faint of heart or wardrobe.
Fearless in its vivacity, this offering is as far-reaching as any of Abloh's previous creations, indicative of his restless design practice that drew from nearly every conceivable element of culture.
Free from the stigmas that prevent most of us from breaching convention, Abloh's creative approach famously united disparate stylistic cues into something that eschewed cohesiveness in favor of freshness.
Not that LV SS22 isn't consistent — forget about typical notions of normality and look at the range as a blend of every element of "streetwear." From suits to slacks to sportswear and everything in between and outside, Abloh brought it all together.
Just look at the models on the runway: one is clutching a gradient-hued skateboard to match his 'fit while Offset is clutching a Metalheadz-branded briefcase, not because these are cheap winks at cultural totems, but because they reflect Abloh's diverse passions rendered through a kaleidoscopic Louis Vuitton lens.
"He was our leader who took streetwear to places it had never been before; places where critics once said it had no right to be," Highsnobiety's Graeme Campbell recently said.
"In the process of doing so, he gave a voice to the marginalized who had previously been overlooked, be it down to race, gender, sexual identity, or background."
Savor these images.
Though they aren't Abloh's final creations ever — I'm sure there are Nike, Off-White™, and perhaps even LV designs in the archives, given Abloh's prodigious output — this is one of the last proper Abloh LV menswear runways, and it's a sight to behold.
