Louis Vuitton is paying homage to its late artistic director, Virgil Abloh [1], by presenting his final collection this week. On Monday, one day after the trailblazing designer passed away from a rare form of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma [2], the French fashion house announced plans to showcase Virgil's spring/summer 2022 collection in Miami on Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m. ET. It looks like the show will be streaming on Louis Vuitton's website [3], where there is currently a countdown to the start time.
In a statement shared on Louis Vuitton's social media pages [4], Chairman and CEO Michael Burke said, "Virgil was not only a friend, great collaborator, creative genius, visionary and disruptor, but also one of the best cultural communicators of our times. He paved the way for future generations. As a devoted supporter of his community through his charities and passions, he was an eternal optimist who believed anything was possible. In this same spirit, we at Louis Vuitton will proudly continue to celebrate his legacy with a final show in Miami, per his wishes." The announcement was shared alongside a video of a young child biking throughout Miami before hopping on a red "LV" hot air balloon and launching into the sky.
Virgil was here. — Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) November 29, 2021 [6]
In loving memory of Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton pays tribute to the life and legacy of a creative genius with a presentation of his Spring-Summer 2022 Collection in Miami on November 30th at 5:30 pm (ET). pic.twitter.com/3QwXJRkfin [5]
In 2018, Virgil made history as the first Black man to take charge of French luxury fashion house, bringing his knack for blending streetwear and high-end fashion to Louis Vuitton until his death. He also founded his own label, Off-White, in 2012. Since his passing, various celebrities, including Gigi Hadid, Offset, and Hailey Bieber, have paid tribute to him with thoughtful messages [7] about his lasting legacy.