Virgil Abloh‘s second season at men’s Louis Vuitton. I’m not a fan of Abloh’s aesthetic in general, and I never really got the point of Off-White’s hype. But, his work at Vuitton is somewhat ‘profound’. It’s global. But not solely in the sense of more store openings, more celebrities wearing LV (even though those boxes are all checked, of course). The designer looks at the term ‘cultural diversity’ and bravely nods to it in his work. And, while Louis Vuitton is a huge platform, talking about important matters through clothes and events is more than respectful. For autumn-winter 2019, Virgil looked to the late Michael Jackson, setting the scene on a replica of New York street seen in the ‘Billie Jean’ video. Music is always the key for Virgil (who you surely know is also a free-lance DJ). Dev Hynes (!) and Ian Isiah performed new songs. Other than that, there was a live graffiti installation. This wasn’t a stiff fashion show, but a vibrant performance. Models weaved through the ‘street’ wearing flag print, intarsia fur coats and collars, tour-merch-style t-shirts, embellished jumpers and monogram embossed duvet jackets (their super-inflated effect looked impressive in leather). Jackson-inspired beaded, white gloves and jackets appeared as well. There are pieces that will disappear from the shelves immediately (like the over-sized jackets and bold bags) and garments that need more fashion courage (like the multi-layered blazers and pleated skirt-pants). I won’t say it’s a favourite for me, but you definitely can’t ignore this outing.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.