Off-White streetwear supremo and long-time Kanye West collaborator Virgil Abloh has been named Louis Vuitton’s new menswear designer.
He will take the role of Men’s Artistic Director, and his first show for the French heritage house will take place in June during Men’s Fashion Week, Paris.
The multi-talented American designer and DJ takes over from Kim Jones, who departed the luxury brand in January and took the creative director role at Dior Homme this month.
"It is an honor for me to accept the position of Men’s Artistic Director for Louis Vuitton,” Abloh said in a statement. “I find the heritage and creative integrity of the House are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times."
37-year-old Abloh has enjoyed a steady ascent within the fashion world. He started off as an intern at Fendi Roma with Kanye West before launching Pyrex Vision – a short-lived luxury brand that ultimately inspired his immensely popular Off-White label. The high-end streetwear brand has permeated youth culture and the fashion world at large, leading to collaborations with Jimmy Choo, Nike and soon, IKEA.
Abloh is the first African-American artistic director in Louis Vuitton’s 164 year history, and his appointment will reflect an increasing crossover between the luxury and streetwear sectors, which helped to boost the global sales of high-end fashion by 5 percent last year.
On the appointment, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman & CEO Michael Burke said: "Having followed with great interest Virgil's ascent since he worked with me at Fendi in 2006, I am thrilled to see how his innate creativity and disruptive approach have made him so relevant, not just in the world of fashion but in popular culture today. His sensibility towards luxury and savoir-faire will be instrumental in taking Louis Vuitton’s menswear into the future."
