Louis Vuitton has unveiled one of the last collections designed by Virgil Abloh for the brand's menswear line.

The pre-fall 2022 collection, unveiled Monday, was photographed and completed before Abloh passed away on November 28, 2021, according to Vuitton.

Vuitton's chairman and chief executive officer, Michael Burke, previously told WWD that the brand's fall 2022 collection, which will be displayed next January during Paris Men's Fashion Week, had been 95 percent finished when Abloh passed. 

The pre-collection builds on Abloh's concept of "boyhood ideology," which he coined when he debuted his first pre-collection at the house. A subtle grey tone is accentuated with flashes of blue and yellow to begin the collection.

"What makes men's wear? Boys do. I believe that building blocks stacked upon each other through our lives form the narrative of what defines men's wear. My work today bears evidence of everything that happened to me in my past: how I was brought up, educated, and how I evolved," he said at the time.

 

 

 

 

 

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The result is a combination of conventional men's wear themes for a new generation of luxury consumers. Tailoring use casual shapes and features similar to those found in women's clothes, with upgraded aesthetics utilizing premium fabrics like fur, leather, and silk.

A padded vest with white mink cut in the shape of XL monograms, beekeeper hats and veils with graffiti graphics designed by Milan-based tattoo artist Ghusto Leon, and bits of faded paisley and monogram patterns, also patent leather loafers, driving shoes with deconstructed rubber soles, and lightweight "puffy" slides are among the accessories.

The LV "Runner Tactic" sneaker has been revamped in mesh, while the house's signature "Damier" motif has been scaled up on backpacks which were first introduced in the brand's fall 2022 collection, are among the top-notch pieces.

According to a press release from Louis Vuitton, Abloh sought to "celebrate the idea of commercialism rather than deny it the way fashion tends to," with the house emphasizing that the collection was finished and shot before his passing.

And, following a farewell homage at his posthumous runway presentation during Miami Art Week, the craftsmanship of this new collection confirms that Virgil was truly here.

Bernard Arnault, LVMH Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are all shocked after this terrible news. Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary. He was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sorrow, and we are all thinking of his loved ones after the passing of their husband, their father, their brother, or their friend."

 

 

 

 

 

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Virgil Abloh has been the Men's Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton since March 2018. LVMH purchased a large stake in Off-White LLC, the trademark owner of Off-White, in July 2021, and Abloh was its creator and Artistic Director. 

After the purchase, LVMH and Abloh revealed that their partnership would be expanded to include the development of new businesses and collaborations with existing ones in a range of sectors outside of fashion.

Abloh's work has been shown at prestigious design schools worldwide, including Harvard Graduate School of Design, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and Rhode Island School of Design. In 2019, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois, acquired a significant collection of his previous and current work.

Abloh has received various awards and acknowledgement during his illustrious career, including the most recent British Fashion Award for "Urban Luxe" and the GQ Men of the Year Award for International Designer of the Year 2017.