(Designers)
See Virgil Abloh’s Final Fall 2022 Collection For Louis Vuitton
Every look was imbued with meaning.
At runway shows, clothes and accessories often take center stage but it’s really the meaning behind each piece, and the collection as a whole, that drives the presentation home. For Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2022 Menswear Collection, the narrative was especially poignant and special. The reveal served as a touching tribute to the late Mens Artistic Director Virgil Abloh (who died last November after a private battle with cancer). On Jan. 20, the fashion crowd gathered at Le Carreau du Temple in Paris for a 22-minute long show. Front row guests included Naomi Campbell, Venus Williams, J Balvin, and Tyler, the Creator. The event featured dancers, spoken poetry, and an orchestra in addition to LV’s ready-to-wear lineup, which was the final one from Abloh (who created 95% of the collection) for the maison.
The show opened up with words from poet Kai-Isaiah Jamal on track, followed by dancers who seamlessly moved about the stage. The setting, dubbed the Louis Dreamhouse, featured a giant bed, a long banquet table, and an unmissable house half sunk into the floor. According to the show notes, which numbered 47 pages, this fantastical world tapped into one’s childlike wonder and playfulness.
“In the coming-of-age story central to [Abloh’s] inspirational and aspirational premise at Louis Vuitton, his boy hero experiences a rite of passage: a passing-of-the-torch, a triumph, a resolve,” read the show notes. “The designer employs the Boyhood Ideology key to his philosophy: Seeing the world with the unspoiled eyes of a child. Through this lens, the membrane between reality and imagination is non-existent. Dreams can come true.”
As models walked down from a staircase, it was clear that each look — there was a total of 67 outfits — honored Abloh’s creative eye and contained his design DNA. (The late visionary is credited for creating luxury streetwear that felt novel and that often paid tribute back to the Black community. His label Off-White, for example, launched the “I Support Young Black Businesses” program back in July 2020.) Two-piece floral sets referenced Abloh’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection for Louis Vuitton while tie-dye, a recurring motif in his work, was interpreted on embossed monogram denim pieces and shearling coats. His concept of subverted luxury persisted, too, from the logo-patched varsity jackets to the leather monogram baseball caps that came down the runway.
As for the accessories, the fall ‘22 collection featured Abloh’s sneaker designs — the Tactic and Trainer — in a sea of tailored trench coats, kaftans, pleated skirts, and jeans. This time, the LV Trainer was reworked with tech materials and embossed neoprene, coming in high-top and low-top styles. Nestled in there was The LV Trainer 2 — a new basketball sneaker in nubuck or nappa leather with neoprene detailing — that came in six different colors.
Meanwhile, for the handbag fanatics out there, there was a lot to dissect. According to the show notes, “the climbing bags in gray and blue represented the idea of climbing into heaven” while “padded bags in black, white, gray, and purple leather with large cushioned squares take inspiration from the protective sports-wear of martial arts, and include a skateboard carrier.” There was no doubt that this collection served to consolidate and honor the themes and messages of Abloh’s eight seasons at Louis Vuitton.
For the finale, models emerged in all-white looks — some wore tailored separates while others donned veiled baseball caps and white skirts. A few sported expansive wings that were constructed with lace, paying tribute to the childlike imagination of flying, and the notion of heaven on Earth (thus, highlighting the reoccurring motif throughout the show). As part of the final celebration of Abloh’s spirit and legacy, his entire LV creative team joined the models for a standing ovation. Tunes from “See You Again,” by Tyler, the Creator filled the entire room.
