Talk about a watershed moment. As Virgil Abloh took his bow after his debut men’s wear show for Louis Vuitton, he embraced his mentor, Kanye West, and the two men openly wept tears of joy. They’d made it, at last. The designer from Rockford, Ill., who four years ago launched his streetwear label Off-White with the aim of revolutionizing high fashion, had a theory about what it meant for him to reach the top rungs of the industry. In an alphabetical guide handed out to guests, he gave this definition of luxury: “A label determined by values, codes and qualities, its use and definition were the privilege of few until a new generation conquered its dominion and shifted the paradigm for good.” But as he remarked a few days before the show, there’s a difference between knowing and feeling. His display on Thursday — held under a sun so searing that iPhones flashed temperature warnings — was one of those events destined to make the industry annals. The celebrities! (Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Naomi Campbell, A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott, Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid, to name just a few.) The setting! (A 650-foot-long rainbow catwalk in the Palais-Royal Garden.) The models! (Friends including Playboi Carti, Kid Cudi, Dev Hynes and Theophilus London walked in the show.) The clothes themselves signaled the dawning of a new era. Neither pure streetwear, nor straightforward luxury, they sat somewhere in between, with all the trial and error that comes with mapping new territory. In a preview at the Louis Vuitton studio, Abloh said he wanted to start with a blank slate. His color scheme was based on white light hitting a prism and separating into a spectrum of hues, with shades ranging from off-white (naturellement) to the multicolored palette of “The Wizard of Oz.” Flanking the runway were 700 design school students, dressed in T-shirts color coordinated with the gradient runway, reflecting Abloh’s commitment to opening luxury to a new generation. Printed on the front were the words “Not Home,” a nod to Dorothy’s classic line: “’Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Abloh likened himself to the character played by Judy Garland, the “farm girl from the Midwest transported to Oz, a fairy-tale land where she experiences things beyond the reach of her imagination.” Along his yellow brick road, he found transfigured basics: a jacket made of white mink; a camel double-faced cashmere hoodie, and a tie-dye T-shirt in white leather. Also: elevated takes on the screen-printed motifs that have powered his streetwear business, such as a letterman jacket hand-embroidered with an image of Dorothy dreaming in a field of poppies. In their pristine whiteness, the opening looks made a powerful statement. The mohair suit, crocodile leather trenchcoat and monogram-embossed leather vest were the sartorial equivalents of box-fresh sneakers. Some of his other experiments — namely neon-colored vests with bulging pockets that he described as a bridge between accessories and fashion — clearly needed refining. Instead, the key takeaway of the show was a casual silhouette that, while not new to men’s wear at large, felt fresh for both Abloh and Vuitton. “It’s not oversize. There’s volume in the pant, it’s very relaxed, very casual, very chic. Those are the things that I believe in. That’s my personal aesthetic. This is me having a conversation with luxury,” explained Abloh, who personally favors an adolescent’s uniform of T-shirt and jeans. “Luxury is something that’s coveted. It’s not necessarily something that’s expensive, so I’m employing the perfect vintage T-shirt that you find in Melrose in L.A. — that’s equally as important as a cashmere sweater in brushed mohair,” he posited. As are the accessories. From the new LV Skate sneakers to Timberland-inspired LV Creeper ankle boots, the covetable options on display suggested Vuitton could soon become a major mover on the footwear front. The bags, which power the business, were less convincing. Adding plastic chains to crocodile leather styles was probably a misfire. Abloh seemed eager to address any detractors. “I don’t call myself a designer, nor do I call myself an image-maker. I don’t reject the label of either. I am not trying to put myself on a pedestal, nor am I trying to be more, now. I would like to define the title of artistic director for a new and different era,” he said in his show notes. The audience, at any rate, was lapping it up. Don Crawley, who cofounded Chicago’s RSVP Gallery concept store with Abloh, summed up the significance of the moment: “I always felt that before, we just begged for the culture to really have a voice in the product that the culture consumes. So we’re just so happy that now, that’s the case. It feels amazing.”<doc-sep>The inescapable chatter surrounding Virgil Abloh‘s appointment as Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton has been chronic since the news was first announced back in March. Now, all of the buildup leading up to the highly anticipated event has finally dismantled, as Abloh made his grand debut collection for the French legacy house at the Spring/Summer 2019 menswear iteration of Paris Fashion Week earlier today. Held at the Jardin du Palais-Royal, guests – including the upper echelon of Virgil’s posse such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, A$AP Rocky and Takashi Murakami – sat under sweltering Parisian summer sun opposite a dramatically long, multi-colored runway. Soundtracked by Canadian band BadBadNotGood, a pan-ethnic cast featured a slew of recognizable faces like Kid Cudi, Dev Hynes, A$AP Nast, Lucien Clarke, Playboi Carti, Theophilus London and Blondey McCoy. The 56-look range wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary for the Off-White head honcho, whose penchant for street-tinged luxury was unleashed with bold vigor. Tie-dyed and floral, Wizard of Oz-themed pieces (which turned out to be a collaboration with Warner Bros. to celebrate the iconic film’s 80th anniversary) made up the collection’s graphic scope, which were noticeably kept at a minimum. Elsewhere, loose-fitted trousers, utility vests, sheer shirting, hoodies and tailored trench coats were funneled through a gradient of color-blocking. Weaved in the line’s footwear range were a smattering of high-top sneakers (which weren’t dissimilar to Abloh’s famed “The Ten” Nike series) and patent oxford dress shoes. The accessories were a particular highlight, including a translucent, iridescent monogram duffle, croc-embossed chest rig, chain-embellished trunks and cross-body bags. Scroll through the gallery above for a closer look at Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection and let us know what you think of Virgil’s big debut. Be sure to follow our Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 coverage for the latest coverage this season.<doc-sep>After a string of teasers, we are just hours away from the official unveil of Virgil Abloh‘s debut Louis Vuitton collection. Building on the youthful foundation established by Kim Jones, Virgil’s surprise appointment as Louis Vuitton’s artistic director is welcoming a new set of design sensibilities. Set to be one of the most talked-about Paris Fashion Week shows this year, insiders are expecting the Spring/Summer 2019 collection presentation to ring in a new era for the luxury fashion house. Although there is not too much info to go on at the moment, we currently do know that the range is titled “COLOR THEORY” and will see a mix of bright tones expressed on Louis Vuitton’s unfaltering classics. Also, at 12:31, Abloh walks to Kanye West and gives a hug. The two begin to weep in celebration of Abloh’s LV debut. A closer look at the moment can be seen below via Takashi Murakami‘s Instagram post. Watch the live stream for Virgil Abloh’s Debut Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection presentation 2:30 p.m. CEST June 21 above. In case you missed it, catch Virgil Abloh preparing his Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2019 debut in a new exclusive IGTV clip.<doc-sep>Virgil Abloh has taken the next big step in his ascent of the fashion industry, as he showed his first collection for Louis Vuitton at Paris fashion week. In the afternoon heat of the Palais-Royale gardens on Thursday, the American designer introduced his take on Vuitton, starting with a new lexicon. “The biggest goal for a first collection in any scenario is to start so that people can understand the new vocabulary,” he wrote on Instagram before the show, at which each attendee was left a dictionary on their seats, or “a liberal definition of terms and explanation of ideas”, as he put it. It started with “accessomorphosis”, which he said was as a portmanteau describing the transformation of an accessory into a garment. This formed the basis of the 56-look collection he called Colour Theory. A double-breasted wool-mohair blazer fused with a white leather bib, complete with a pencil-case pouch; a leather vest, embossed with the fashion house’s signature monogram, had protruding structured pockets; and anoraks were cut away at the back to make way for an attached bum bag. Leather vest and pencil-case style pouch. Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters Louis Vuitton is, of course, famed for accessories. Abloh took signature bag silhouettes such as the large Keepall, the Runner and the Petit-Malle (a miniature version of the transatlantic trunks with which the house made its name in the 1800s) and reimagined them – some in red, green and iridescent plastic, others in matte leather with the traditional hardware detailing. Hanging off each were multicoloured ceramic chains, which also were used as bracelets and necklaces, while creeper ankle boots and vintage suede sneakers completed the look. Reimagining is what Abloh is all about. The American designer’s appointment as Louis Vuitton’s artistic director in March was the culmination of his rise over the past three years and makes him the first designer of colour to hold such a high-profile position. The Louis Vuitton Petit-Malle, reimagined by Virgil Abloh. Photograph: Ian Langsdon/EPA What makes his new role the most interesting is his unorthodox trajectory. The 37-year-old didn’t go to fashion school; instead his formal qualifications lie in engineering and architecture and he has had a successful career as a DJ and producer for the past two decades. What could be his achilles heel, however, is his greatest asset. The way he has challenged the preconceived notions of what a fashion designer looks like at his five-year-old label Off-White, is exactly the fresh perspective that has captured the millennial zeitgeist and ultimately had Louis Vuitton knocking on his door. When news broke of the hire, Louis Vuitton’s chief executive, Michael Burke, praised Abloh’s “innate creativity and disruptive approach”. On Thursday in Paris, Abloh explained to guests that he would not describe himself as a designer or an image maker, but that he wanted to “define the title of artistic director for a new and different era”. A reminder that he has never attested to be anything he is not. The utility belt, Louis Vuitton-style, by Virgil Abloh. Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters What he is, however, is focused on diversity and inclusivity. In his dictionary, F was for “fandom: two-way worship between a designer and his clientele”. In the lead-up to his debut collection, he shared snapshots of his inspiration with his 2.3 million followers on Instagram and, at the show, the spray-painted rainbow catwalk (matching the palette of the collection) was lined by students he had invited from Paris. The model line-up, meanwhile, had representatives from every continent in the world – bar Antarctica – that were shown on a map that read “We are the world”. At his own Off-White show on Wednesday, the father-of-two explained that he saw his brand as the teenager to Vuitton’s adult. While there was plenty of tailoring to please that clientele, there was equal measure of teen spirit. Tie-dye jacquard smocks, hooded anoraks and oversized shirts took on a Wizard of Oz theme, with the face of Judy Garland’s Dorothy depicted in sequins and surrounded by poppies. (D was for Dorothy, by the way, ‘A farm girl from the Midwest transported to Oz, a fairy tale land where she experiences things beyond her imagination. As an outsider, she soon discovers she was taken to Oz for a reason’.) The rainbow-infused runway at Virgil Abloh’s debut Louis Vuitton menswear collection at the Palais-Royale in Paris. Photograph: Ian Langsdon/EPA His Louis Vuitton collection elicited a standing ovation from the audience, among whom was Abloh’s mentor, Kanye West, who hugged the emotional designer as he bowed and admitted to the audience that he was very proud. Backstage were Abloh’s parents, Eunice and Nee, waiting patiently to congratulate their son. This was their first time in Paris to witness his work and both said it had been an emotional two days. His mother said she had two words of advice for her son before the show: be cool. Abloh succeeds Kim Jones, who makes his debut at Dior Homme on Saturday, in the role. The baton has been passed amicably between the two, with Abloh seen as a complementary successor, given their talents at creating cult products and the hype that goes with them. Vuitton’s collaboration with the skatewear brand Supreme under Jones’s watch in January 2017 contributed significantly to its owner LVMH’s 29% profit increase that year. Abloh has also created sell-out collaborations, including the Off-White x Nike Air Jordan 1 Chicago trainer, for which resale prices exceeded $2,000 (£1,500). It looks set to continue, as in Virgil’s vocabulary C is for collaboration. An emotional Virgil Abloh, right, walks towards his mentor, Kanye West, left, after the show. Photograph: Swan Gallet/WWD/Rex/Shutterstock In the first three months of 2018, LVMH’s fashion and leather goods arm posted organic revenue growth of 16%. It said it had been helped by its titular brand’s “remarkable start to the year” and would be looking for its new star designer to capitalise on that. Abloh, meanwhile, remains humble. He has previously said he “just wants to live up to the greats of fashion”, but is clearly intent on redefining a new era in the process.<doc-sep>
Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton sneaker from the Spring 2019 collection. Photo: Imaxtree We're only two days into the menswear shows in Paris, and Virgil Abloh will likely be subject of industry fodder for the rest of fashion week. The designer made his debut as the creative director of Louis Vuitton on Thursday with a packed audience filled with front-row celebrities, friends — we're still getting over that emotional hug with Kanye West — and thousands of admiring design students. Known for constantly sharing his work in progress with his followers on social media, Abloh shared a few of his designs ahead of the runway show. (Louis Vuitton's Instagram page also posted some photos of the anticipated Spring 2019 collection.) The quick glimpses were mainly accessories, including sneakers, bags, jewelry and sunglasses, adding more fuel to the hype surrounding the French house's new hire. Riding the wave of Louis Vuitton's Supreme collaboration, Abloh remixed the luxury brand's signature duffle bags in white, a holographic hue, transparent green and a buttery camel color — each adorned with matching porcelain-like chains. Some fashion-meets-tech accessories were also spotted on the runway, like garter bags, backpacks, chest packs, utility belts and vests adorned with ample zipper pockets. With previous Off-White collaborations with Sunglass Hut and Warby Parker, Abloh made sure to include a new style of sunglasses. Inspired by Pharrell Williams and Nigo (of A Bathing Ape fame), the square-shaped frames were embellished with an LV-monogram motif. Jewelry was similar to the bags' chain details, as models wore short-length chain necklaces and friendship bracelets. For footwear, Abloh presented a handful of choices, including high-top sneakers (one reminiscent of Air Jordans; the other similar to a heavy-sole boot, but with a pointed toe, straps and a gilded LV logo), a classic low trainer and a dress shoe in white with bright neon laces. As reviews on Abloh's debut are still trickling in, we won't know for sure how much of a success his collection is until it hits the salesroom floor. Though, we have a feeling the accessories will likely become best-sellers among retailers. In the gallery below, see a close-up look at Abloh's first collection of sneakers and accessories for Louis Vuitton. 61 Gallery 61 Images Plus, see the entire Louis Vuitton Spring 2019 collection in the gallery below. 57 Gallery 57 Images Sign up for our daily newsletter and get the latest industry news in your inbox every day.