Louis Vuitton is partnering with Dover Street Market Ginza to exhibit and sell select pieces from Virgil Abloh's tenure at the French maison.
From October 29 to November 15, shoppers can head to DSM's Tokyo location to get an up-close look at eight ensembles spanning Abloh's time at Louis Vuitton, a nearly four-year-long run cut short by the designer's unexpected death in November 2021. A selection of custom and archival designs will also be on view.
It's unclear which specific runway looks and standalone garments will make an appearance. The sheer prospect of whittling Abloh's portfolio down to just eight ensembles is a daunting task — there are nearly too many iconic moments from his reign as Louis Vuitton's artistic director of menswear.
To name just a handful: the harnesses and holographic bags from Abloh's inaugural Louis Vuitton collection (SS19); the light-up Keepall (FW19); Louis Vuitton x NIGO LV² (Pre-Fall 2020); the sweater covered in stuffed puppets (SS21); Louis Vuitton x Nike's ultra-luxe Air Force 1s.
There's no question that the pieces that do make the cut will end up selling for sky-high prices — back in February, pairs of the Abloh-designed AF1s, one of the late designer's last projects, auctioned at Sotheby's for over $100,000.
But don't let that deter you from stopping by the exhibition and sale. You can also pick up a copy of Assouline's Louis Vuitton: Virgil Abloh book, a retrospective of his work at the house, at the event for a comparatively small sum of $150.
