When Louis Vuitton announced Virgil Abloh as its artistic director back in 2018, no one knew the impact it was going to have on the world of fashion.
Not only did he become the house’s first African-American to hold the role, it marked a pivotal turning point in the realm of luxury fashion, one centered around inclusivity, diversity, and, of course, empowerment.
Virgil was a visionary, a pioneer, and one of the most influential creatives the industry has ever seen. He once tweeted “Dreams come true when you don't sleep,” something I didn’t really think about until his passing late last year, but something that now resonates with me a lot clearer.
Because that’s what Virgil was about: seizing opportunities and running with them, a unique talent that saw him garner success with Off-White™, before auspiciously changing the course of fashion as we knew it.
Now nearly ten months on from his passing, Louis Vuitton looks to celebrate the life of Virgil and the legacy he leaves behind with a book titled Louis Vuitton: Virgil Abloh, alongside New York-based published Assouline.
Featuring over 320 images and personal reflections from Virgil’s inner circle which includes the likes of NIGO, Naomi Campbell, Kendall Jenner, and Kid Cudi, the book – which is split into eight chapters, one for each menswear collection and show he orchestrated – houses words that have been compiled by close collaborator Anders Christian Madsen.
The book itself – which lands on Assouline on September 15 – arrives in two different covers (Balloon or Cartoon), one of which is taken from the Louis Vuitton’s SS22 spinoff show in Miami, with the other a sports cartoon artwork by cultural icon Reggieknow.
The book will also be available in an Ultimate Collection, which will see it packaged in a collectible box paying homage to Virgil’s use of shipping crates in SS21, and will also house a separate insert that explores every single sneaker Virgil designed for the French house.
While to many Louis Vuitton: Virgil Abloh will be another celebratory book that pays homage to a lost great, to others (including me) it's much more. It's history. It's art.
