Photographer Mark Borthwick
THE THE MOVEMENT MOVEMENT THAT THAT BROUGHT BROUGHT HIM HIM TO TO LOUIS LOUIS VUITTON VUITTON
I found it very difficult to approach writing this story for someone so exceedingly self-aware of his position in our current culture that delivers eloquent lectures, holds panel discussions that clearly outline his approach to design, and is able to describe his work in the context of preexisting and current culture. In plain words, Virgil is hyper-conscious of all that he is doing and why it’s effectively met with high praise. With that said, let me share with you my experience with Virgil. For weeks I hopped from cafe to cafe, hoping the change of scenery would inspire me, but I was stuck. Growing up an admitted “hypebeast,” attempting to comment upon Virgil’s achievements in the past year – the countless ways he has impacted this culture I’ve grown up on – seemed to be a task for which I felt slightly under-qualified. But on this fated Sunday morning, days before deadline, it came rushing to me. I tumbled out of the shower, grabbed my iPhone off the edge of sink, and frantically mashed away on the Notes app – all the while soaking wet, dripping still-soapy water on the bathroom tiles. Virgil is not this design god that the world thinks he is – at least, he doesn’t think he is. He thinks he’s just a messenger in the grand scheme of things, an assistant participating within a larger movement. Maybe it’s because of his 3% rule: never taking a design more than 3% from its original form. He doesn’t have to – he’s fine with leaving a design the way it is and has a healthy respect for the beauty of something in its pure form. Much in the same vein, we don’t need to fit his story into some grand-notion journalistic endeavor – his story tells itself, and we’re simply taking our due turn in being the assistant. With that said, let me share with you my experience with Virgil.
Credits Photographer Mark Borthwick Designer Nirvana Garreffa/Hypebeast Interviewer Kevin Wong/Hypebeast Fashion /Jun 12, 2018/By Kevin Wong
VIRGIL WAS FULLY IMMERSED, OBSERVING AND INQUIRING. SHIFTING FROM DESIGNER AND PRODUCER AT THE PHOTOSHOOTS TO STUDENT AND ACTIVE PARTICIPANT.
Photographer Mark Borthwick
Virgil Abloh Says Streetwear Will Die Soon V
irgil Abloh, the arguable king of streetwear, has a chilling prediction for all you Off-White adherents out there — it's on its deathbed. That's right, despite streetwear's popularity and acceptance within the high fashion and art worlds, Abloh recently told Dazed that its definitely on its way out. Why? Well, according to him "how many more t-shirts can we own?" Related | Virgil Abloh Is Taking a Damn Break "I would definitely say it's gonna die," he said when asked by the publication about what the next decade would bring for the trend. ""Like, its time will be up. In my mind, how many more t-shirts can we own, how many more hoodies, how many sneakers?" But it's not all negative. According to Abloh, he believes that vintage is going to make a big return in the 2020s, explaining that, "we're gonna hit this like, really awesome state of expressing your knowledge and personal style with vintage." "There are so many clothes that are cool that are in vintage shops and it's just about wearing them," he continued. "I think that fashion is gonna go away from buying a boxfresh something; it'll be like, hey I'm gonna go into my archive." Talk about a big statement. Read what else Abloh has to say about the rise (and demise) of streetwear, here.
https://hypebeast.com/2020/1/louis-vuitton-paris-fashionweek-fw20-heaven-on-earth-show-invitation-virgil-ablohteaser By Nicolaus Li
image by vogue.com
Hear Virgil Abloh in his Own Words
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o quote Vogue’s recent profile of Virgil Abloh, “Wow, this guy can talk.” It’s true; few fashion world personalities are as verbose as Abloh, who is always ready with a quip, be it about making Chicago a fashion hub or the ins and out of his creative ethos. It’s a welcome departure—one of many that Abloh has brought to the fashion world—from the idea of the creative director as a far-off, isolated genius who hands down style missives from on high. OffWhite and what Abloh is building at Louis Vuitton men’s couldn’t be further from that antiquated vision. Being accessible and creating conversation is as core to his design practice as his popular Off-White x Nike sneakers and Vuitton mid-layer garments.
On Making Items with Value “Off-White, a T-shirt is like $200, a hoodie is like $300. At the upper level, like, don’t let Zara or Uniqlo educate you on the price of a garment because that’s not fashion. That’s like McDonald’s, so your health is tied to that. It’s like, here’s a 99-cent nugget.”
On Building Fashion Communities Around America “The centers of fashion are in Europe, and that’s how it’s been historically. It would be hard to remove that silo completely; it’s like taking cars made in Detroit and trying to make cars in Rockford, Illinois. It’s going to be an immense startup project, but I think in America we do have this forefront of streetwear, and we have our own identity, and different cities around the Here, Abloh discusses the many intricacies of runcountry should be multilayered places of fashning a brand, a business, and staying creative. ion.” On the Bigger Meaning of Off-White “I don’t get too bogged down in the clothes. OffWhite is to make a brand.… For me, it’s one big art project. These clothes and the things that I make that I spend time obsessing about—these 200-, 300-piece collections—they’re just a means to paint a bigger picture that fashion should have a brand where the person behind it cares about different contexts, different social things, just different landscapes, and I’m just in disguise as a fashion brand that shows in Paris.” On His Design Mantra “[The] way of designing—to develop everything from zero—comes from a different time. For me, design is about whatever I find is worthy to tell a story about. I don’t believe that culture benefits from the idea that this line on a piece of paper has never been drawn in this exact way ever before. My goal is to highlight things—that’s why I collaborate a lot; that’s why I reference a lot, and that’s what makes my body of work what it is.”
On Where His Career Is Going “I’m sort of in this midlife phase where I’m pondering becoming more content sitting on a couch. As a workaholic, that’s the central conundrum. I’m sort of absorbing these milestones in my career, but I’m also welcoming the idea that, yeah, maybe I don’t travel so much; maybe I don’t take on as many projects; maybe I spend more time at home with my kids. Now that I see what my trajectory is, who knows? I might be open to being boring.” BY STEFF YOTKA August 30, 2019
MARKERAD Limited Collection Fashion you can’t wear MARKERAD collection, a collaboration between IKEA x Virgil Abloh This range stylishly fuses functionality with street cred and high cultural references, it brings you statement pieces that challenge tradition. The collection of 15 pieces consists of a range of fashion-forward homewares that cater towards fluid and contemporary living, including a day bed, table, chair, mirror, lighting, bed textiles, cabinet and accessories. .
“The ethos of the collection is to add an artful quality to anonymous objects.” - Virgil Abloh, designer
Made to make a statement MARKERAD takes classic minimalist designs and builds on them with the artistic references and subversive elements typical of Virgil’s work, with his iconic quotation marks found throughout. They add a sense of irony into the products we’ve produced – perfect for people trying to build a home with a little high-fashion edge, or looking to freshen up the one they already have.
“It’s about elevating the anonymous, everyday icons that we use without noticing. When we put a doorstop on one of the legs of an ordinary chair we create something unexpected – an interruption.” - Virgil Abloh “Virgil takes modern design into a contemporary context. By interpreting history and tradition in his own unique way, he creates design which very much appeals to our time.” - Henrik Most, Creative Leader at IKEA
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/news/markerad-collection-pub039b6a31
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source : ikea.com
Gucci and Disney Celebrate Chinese New Year With Mickey Mouse Collaboration Ringing in the Year of the Mouse with the world’s most famous rodent.
Although Gucci‘s already prepping a variety of seasonal releases — including Spring/Summer 2020 and the subsequent Pre-Fall range — the Italian luxury brand is squeezing in one more delivery before the new year. In preparation for Chinese New Year 2020, Gucci is rejoining Disney for a brief array of Mickey Mouse goods. Of course, this isn’t the first time the two companies have joined forces, but it isn’t without reason. Chinese New Year 2020 is the Year of the Mouse — or Rat, depending on translation — meaning that there’s no better time to celebrate Disney’s iconic mascot. To commemorate the season in style, Gucci has revamped a trio of timeless menswear staples with thematic designs. A GG Supreme coated canvas coat sports all-over Mickeys, layered atop Gucci’s legendary interlocking logo. Elsewhere, a trim-fitting short-sleeved wool shirt sports an extended collar and warm plaid for a retro touch, underscored by Mickey appliqué on the chest pocket. Finally, a lightweight cotton gauze shirt is summer ready in both shape and style, with colorful Mickey and Minnie prints gracing the entirety of the garment. Shop Disney and Gucci’s Chinese New Year collaboration on MATCHESFASHION. COM’s website ahead of the festivities on January 25. The GG Supreme coat weighs in at $4,900 USD, the wool shirt is $950 USD and the cotton shirt is a slightly more modest $930 USD. A host of celebratory footwear offerings have also begun to roll out ahead of the Year of the Rat, including special sneakers from Converse, Nike and adidas. Dec 31, 2019 By Jake Silbert https://hypebeast.com/2019/12/disney-gucci-mickey-mouse-chinese-new-year-of-the-rat-collaboration
imagine byharmoni korine/gucci https:// attractionsmagazine.com/disney-x-guccilunar-new-year-mouse-collection/
Virgil Abloh Heads to Mo Vuitton SS20
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imagine shot by Viviane Sassen.
orocco to Celebrate Louis 0 Collection
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irgil Abloh has spotlight the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2020 collection in a new set of campaign imagery titled “Footprints,” and themed around “Man’s positive impact on the planet.” The campaign was shot in Tangier and Chefchaouen in Morocco by photographer Viviane Sassen, with four subsequent sets of imagery set to focus on other continents around the world.
Flowers represented a key theme of the collection — which made its debut during Paris Fashion Week in June 2019 — with this motif celebrated throughout the campaign. This motif is described as a “naturally occurring metaphor for multiplicity” and is pictured alongside the models and talent, all of whom were scouted locally in Morocco. Other motifs in the campaign nod to the theme of boyhood, which has been ongoing reference in Abloh’s Louis Vuitton collections. This idea is marked through ideas including kite-flying, flower-picking and summers at the beach. These memories of childhood are described as “universally relatable,” with Louis Vuitton going on to explain that they “serve to bind us together in all our diversity across counties, countries, and continents.” In related news, take a look inside Louis Vuitton’s footwear atelier.
https://hypebeast.com/2020/1/louis-vuitton-virgil-abloh-spring-summer-2020-campaign
imagine shot by Viviane Sassen.
Virgil Abloh creates streetwear collection for the Musée du Louvre Prolific fashion designer Virgil Abloh has created a capsule collection in collaboration with Paris’s Musée du Louvre that includes tee-shirts and hoodies decorated with paintings by Leonardo da Vinci. The collection produced by Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh was created to mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death. Abloh, who is the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection, as well as an artist, DJ and entrepreneur, developed the clothing items for the ready-to-wear streetwear brand he founded in 2012. The capsule collection combines OffWhite’s signature markings, including its graphic branding and four-way arrows, with some of da Vinci’s most famous paintings. “I was fascinated with da Vinci early on,” said Abloh, who recalled encountering the artist’s work during his senior year of high school in Wisconsin. “I was super interested not only by his artworks but also by the influence he had in many disciplines besides art: science, engineering, architecture... To me, he symbolises everything the Renaissance was.” One of the hoodies is printed with a panel depicting the Virgin of the Rocks, while the painting known as Saint Anne is transferred onto the cross motif on the back of one of the tee-shirts. Other garments feature monochrome representations of da Vinci’s anatomical sketches, with the gallery’s own logo also displayed prominently alongside the Off-White branding. “I want to crash together these two worlds that are
seemingly different: fashion and high art,” claimed Abloh, whose varied output in 2019 has included a collaboration with IKEA and a vision for a home of the future. “It’s a crucial part of my overall body of work to prove that any place, no matter how exclusive it seems, is accessible to everyone,” he continued, adding that creativity need not be limited to one discipline. “I think that Leonardo da Vinci was maybe the first artist to live by that principle, and I am trying to as well,” Abloh claimed. Promotional photography for the capsule collection was shot inside the Louvre’s Grande Galerie to emphasise the connection between the contemporary fashion designs and the artworks that inspired them. The Louvre holds the largest collection of da Vinci’s paintings and its director of external relations, Adel Ziane, claimed that the collaboration with Abloh is “a way for us to reach a new audience, a new manner to interest them in the Louvre”. The collection coincides with an exhibition dedicated to the artist that is on show at the Louvre until 24 February 2020. It is available from the Louvre’s gift shop and web store, as well as through selected outlets and online retailers. Prices range from $335 to $640.
Mastermind JAPAN vs A BATHING APE® Drops New Items for SS20
imenageby bape.com We are still a few months away before the warmer weather starts to kick in. To prepare customers for the seasonal change, mastermind JAPAN vs A BATHING APE® continue their ongoing collaborative efforts, this time releasing a new slew of items for Spring/Summer 2020. Comprised of choice everyday essentials, the range includes co-branded crewnecks, T-shirts, sweatpants, caps and more. Items are mostly dressed in a grey and black camo print, while a special design incorporating both mastermind‘s Skull-and-Bones motif with BAPE‘s Ape Head insignia is also featured. A black-and-white stripped tee is also being offered up, for those looking for something a little more low-key. Check out the new items in the lookbook above. The latest mastermind JAPAN vs A BATHING APE® items are available now at the mastermind JAPAN vs A BATHING APE® concept store in Hong Kong. For more related drops, BAPE and The Weeknd teamed up on a second collaborative capsule. mastermind JAPAN vs A BATHING APE® G08-G10, G/F Lee Garden Three, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong https://hypebeast.com/2020/1/bape-a-bathing-ape-mastermind-japan-new-items-spring-summer-2020 By Mallory Chin
Tommy Hilfiger Celebrates 35th Anniversary in New Spring 2020 Lookbook For many, the legacy of Tommy Hilfiger is one that often brings nostalgia; lately, the label has been busy riffing on these sentiments by reintroducing iconic pieces from its vast archives. A good example is the Tommy Jeans Sport Tech Denim capsule that we saw just last November. It’s evident the label is showing no signs of slowing down: after 35 years in the game, Tommy Hilfiger is celebrating its history by refining retro-inspired silhouettes for Spring 2020.
IMENAGE BY TOM HILFIGERMY
Featured is an assemblage of understated collegiate styles and casual staples, like blazers, chinos, polos, knit sweaters, varsity jackets and denim, that seamlessly blend together for a clean look that salutes the label’s American heritage. One noteworthy garment is a black varsity jacket, made from delicate felted wool and large embroidery. The front of the piece comes with contrasting white snap buttons, complemented by muted gray and cream-colored ecru leather panels at the sleeves. A tiny motif is sewn onto the upper left chest, followed by two leather-trimmed welt pockets at the waist. As a final note, the back of the jacket is embroidered with a large gold emblem, etched with “Hilfiger” branding, a crowned lion surrounded by wreaths and the word “collection,” all of which are framed by thick ropes informed by the label’s nautical roots. Another highlight is a long parka that’s been glossed with the American flag. The star-spangled design features white stars at the upper half of the body, alongside a print of the same lion emblem seen in the aforementioned piece. From the torso to the hem are red and white stripes, while nuances like small vent holes, thick drawstrings and tonal buttons round up the details of the piece. Other garments like checkered suits, sailor’s coats, denim shirts, pin-striped shorts, technical parkas, light harrington jackets and striped button-ups finish off the expansive collection. https://hypebeast.com/2020/1/tommy-hilfiger-35th-anniversary-spring-2020-lookbook By Charlie Zhang
THE MOST IMPORTANT COLLABORATIONS OF THE DECADE Adidas x Fashion Designers Year: 2010-present
In the early 2000s, designer fashion was largely inaccessible to many due to its high price points and elusive nature, but adidas figured out how to deliver designer products to the masses: sneakers. If we reel back through the years, we can see the long list of adidas’ designer collaborations with such names as Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto and Jeremy Scott, to mention a few. Silhouettes like the Raf Simons Stan Smiths defined a new space for a designer-mass market sneaker hybrids, which retained designer characteristics without inflating the prices dramatically, while gliding slightly above your average local footlocker shelf-price. Arguably, this gave luxury brands confidence in introducing more sneakers into their collections, ultimately helping narrow the gap between “high” and more “mass market” designs.
Kanye West x Sneakers Year: 2012-present When it comes to sneakers and footwear in the past decade, there’s one name that tremendously helped in redefining the way we look at collaborations: Kanye West. Currently in what is considered the YEEZY era of his footwear partnership with adidas, West’s past work with industry heavyweights like the Nike Air Yeezy, the BAPE “Dropout” Bapesta and the Louis Vuitton Don remain some of the most collectible shoes of the era. The period from 2012 to 2014 saw the tail end of Nike’s partnership with Kanye with the release of the Nike Air Yeezy 2 in platinum, black and finally the coveted Red October colorway. Currently, the Yeezy line of sneakers is a household name worth over $1 billion USD with several models and colorway, and is constantly in development. Today, a collaborative fashion line with an athlete, artist, musician, or celebrity may seem the norm, but we owe all that to ‘Ye, with the success of his collaborations opening the floodgates for non-traditional footwear collabs across the board.
Sterling Ruby x Raf Simons Year: 2014 Despite not making a huge amount of noise at the time, Raf Simons and Sterling Ruby placed a greater spotlight on the relationship between fashion and art with their Fall/Winter 2014 collaboration. Today, key pieces from the collection stand out as some of the most sought after items from Raf Simons and has lead to the establishment of Ruby’s S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA. clothing label. Longtime collaborators, the duo came together to create a more narrowed approach to fashion that built on the experimental garments found in Ruby’s 2016 exhibition in London entitled “WORK WEAR: Garment and Textile Archive 2008-2016.” The seamless integration of elements found in the artist’s sculptures, quilts and backdrops forged a path for art and artists alike to make their mark on the fashion world. Vetements x DHL Year: 2016 Vetements’ satirical brand direction made a lasting impression on fashion, and its collaboration with DHL is arguably one of the boldest projects to have launched in years. Before Vetements, the concept of high fashion was mostly associated with luxury and high-brow garments, but Demna Gvasalia and his brother Guram saw no reason why a luxury brand couldn’t collaborate on mundane worker’s uniform. Since then other brands have been following suit, inspiring a wave of ironic prints and unexpected projects.
Supreme x Louis Vuitton Year: 2017 Resulting in one of the biggest moments in contemporary fashion history, streetwear icon Supreme came together with Louis Vuitton for a team-up that changed the landscape of collaborations. Unveiled at LV’s monumental Fall/Winter 2017 presentation during Paris Fashion Week, the collaboration forced streetwear’s way into the traditionally closed world of luxury fashion for good. Celebrating the recognizable logos and iconography of both brands, an assortment of garments and accessories were dressed in a mash-up of overlapping patterns and bold red. Ahead of the official drop of the special range, interest in the monogrammed Box Logo hoodie and T-shirts became a mass hysteria of hype resulting in a disorganized distribution that ultimately fractured Supreme and LV’s planned rollout.
Virgil Abloh x Nike “The Ten” Year: 2017 Virgil Abloh’s name was already established by the time Nike signed him on for “The Ten,” but the hype around the collaboration proved to have a much more lasting impression than expected, refreshing Nike’s most iconic silhouettes for a new generation. Familiar design cues seen in Virgil’s Off-White™ were applied to a number of footwear classics, adding things like quotes, red zip-tie tags and slight tweaks with materials, like translucent “ghosting.” Each sneaker in the lineup was stamped with heavy branding and took Virgil Abloh’s name as an industry heavyweight even further. Though it was a big feat for Virgil to take on 10 silhouettes, it was rewarding — a major precursor to Abloh’s appointment as Artistic Director for Louis Vuitton menswear later on.
Fragment x Pokémon Year: 2018 Debuting at the inaugural iteration of Hypefest, Hiroshi Fujiwara’s THUNDERBOLT PROJECT BY FRGMT & POKÉMON noted the place of nostalgia in the culture. Capturing the hearts of gaming and fashion fans, the collaboration is centered around shadow iterations of a modified Pokéball graphic, accompanied by Pikachu, Raichu, Mew and more classic Pokémon. The lightning bolt logos of Hiroshi’s long-standing fragment design label is also featured heavily throughout the collaboration. Ultimately Hiroshi’s collab presents a high-level execution for crossover product and presented a look into a generation’s infatuation with the Japanese franchise. Today the THUNDERBOLT PROJECT BY FRGMT & POKÉMON can be found exclusively at limited Japan releases. Palace x Ralph Lauren Year: 2018 The unexpected collision between London skate imprint Palace and all-American brand Polo Ralph Lauren served as an expression of the endless possibilities of collaboration. According to Palace co-founders Lev Tanju and Gareth Skewis, the collab was an absolute “dream come true” for them, noting it is “a love letter from a young London skateboard company to their favorite brand in the universe.” With the unexpected Kickflip Polo Bear Sweatshirt standing as the leading motif, the capsule also singled fashion’s often complacent state. Accompanying the opening of Palace’s new Shibuya flagship, the Polo Ralph Lauren collab marked the place of the uniquely British skate brand at an international level and spotlighted Polo’s stance as a lasting socio-cultural icon to a younger generation.
Moncler Genius Year: 2018-present To mark its ongoing move into the fashion realm, Moncler launched its Genius initiative to allow a group of “exceptional minds” to craft lines that build on its après ski heritage. Lead by Moncler Artistic Director, Francesco Ragazzi of Palm Angels, the redefinitions of the label saw creatives “chosen on instinct to shape visions of uniqueness.” Utilizing the idea of collaboration to its fullest, the initiative offered a group of visionaries the opportunity to form an array of fashion-driven takes on the classic Moncler puffer. Notable collaborators include Craig Green, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Matthew M. Williams and more. Most recently the Moncler looked to update its Genius project with the Moncler House of Genius–temporary concept stores, which are open in Milan, Paris and Tokyo until the end of January 2020. Pushing the limits of retail and innovating the customer experience, the special retail spaces are designed to be open art galleries that can continuously be updated. Dior x KAWS Year: 2018 To kick off his role as Creative Director at Dior Homme, Kim Jones channeled his love of streetwear with a collaboration-filled Spring/ Summer 2019 collection. Pushing the boundaries of collaborations, the seasonal range marked its place in fashion history with three unprecedented expertly-executed partnerships. Yoon of AMBUSH as well as 1017 ALYX 9SM‘s Matthew M. Williams were brought on to handle the collaboration’s jewelry and hardware details, respectively. But if that wasn’t enough, Jones tapped globally-renowned artist KAWS to set the artistic tone of his Dior debut with a special capsule. The collaboration with the artist established Jones’ platform at Dior, which has gone on to work with the likes of Hajime Sorayama, Daniel Arsham and more.
Credits Composite Imagery Heison Ho/Hypebeast Writer Ambrose Leung, Nicolaus Li, Charlie Zhang Image Credit Adidas, Thomas Barthélemy/Hypebeast, Francois Guillot / Staff, Christian Vierig / Contributor, Terry Richardson, Ben Awin/Hypebeast, Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast Kr, Eeva Suutari, Steven Meisel, Thunderbolt Project By Frgmt & Pokémon Fashion /Dec 27, 2019/By HB Team https://hypebeast.com/2019/12/big-fashion-collabs-designer-supreme-louis-vuitton-palace