Runway: Louis Vuitton S/S 19 Menswear
Today marks one of the most memorable moments in fashion in recent memory. Virgil Abloh presented his first collection for Louis Vuitton men's at an open venue with multi-colored flooring at Palais Royal. While the show brought many celebrities to the front row, it also brought some to the runway itself. Kid Cudi, A$AP Nast, Theophilus London, and Playboi Carti all walked Virgil's first show for Louis Vuitton which almost seemed if it were a dream because this actually happened at one of fashion's most historic houses.
The 56-look runway presentation featured a lot of exciting new products such as a Jordan 3 inspired sneaker in low-top and hightop variations, LV bags in reflective and translucent fabrics, and a beautiful array of colorful gradient looks throughout. Although Virgil's predecessor Kim Jones did an excellent job at creating hype around Vuitton's menswear, I think that today we saw a new height of excitement around the label. While Virgil's first collection won't hit retailers until Spring 2019, I can guarantee that the hype will only continue to grow from here on out and by the time of the initial release things will be gone in seconds, especially the sneakers, the sunglasses, and other small accessories.
Images via Vogue
At the end of the show, Kanye and Virgil embraced one another, which really spoke volumes about how their involvement in fashion has really come full circle. In an interview from post-Yeezus 2013 with Zane Loewe, Kanye spoke about how he and Virgil used to intern at Fendi and would get their designs "knocked down," and wouldn't really be able to have a voice in fashion design outside of certain circumstances. They didn't just want to have a screen printed rugby flannel that cost $700, they wanted to be able to create at a Louis Vuitton or Gucci level of product design and quality. But because they didn't go to design school or have a traditional background they would never be considered for jobs at these luxury houses... Ten years later we have seen a whole cultural shift in fashion that can be attributed to this group of DONDA creatives and like-minded people such as Demna Gvasalia, Riccardo Tisci, and Kim Jones. Lastly, Virgil took to Instagram after the show and posted a picture of his final walk with a simple caption that read "you can do it too...." Inspiring the youth that anything is possible if you have the work ethic and a dream. Virgil and Co. helped reshape the fashion landscape now anything is possible. Congratulations to Virgil and Louis Vuitton for taking us to a new era of men's fashion.
