Virgil Was Here: Louis Vuitton commemorates Abloh’s life with posthumous LV show

Just days after Virgil Abloh passed away from cancer on November 28, Louis Vuitton took the decision to stage the designer’s final spring/summer ’22 menswear show in Miami yesterday.

Marking the final runway outing for Abloh’s creative vision, and the un-official kick-off for Art Basel Miami, the show was both dénouement and tribute to the Off-White founder’s stellar creative career.

"As a devoted supporter of his community through his charities and passions, [Virgil] was an eternal optimist who believed anything was possible," said Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO. "In this same spirit, we at Louis Vuitton will proudly continue to celebrate his legacy with a final show in Miami, per his wishes."

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, North West, Pharell Williams, and Bella Hadid were among the famous faces ferried on silver LV-monogrammed speedboats to the secluded island venue off the port of Miami to watch a show that included 72 Abloh-designed looks and an additional 30 looks, among them a grey formalwear theme.

The show, somewhat chillingly, opened with Abloh’s voiceover talking about a return “to childhood wonderment”, and finished with members of the LV design team gathering to tearfully bid farewell as Virgil’s voice returned atop swelling strings: "Life is so short that you cant even waste a day subscribing to what someone thinks you can do, versus what you can do."

A finale of spectacular drones lit up the sky with a clear message: Virgil Was Here.