On the Heels of his Passing, Virgil Abloh’s Posthumously Presents His Final Show for Louis Vuitton
This past Sunday the fashion industry was rocked with the sudden passing of Louis Vuitton Menswear artistic director and Off-White founder Virgil Abloh after a two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, at age 41. The devastating news led many in the fashion and music scene to social media to cathartically remember the designer and his many endeavors. Abloh always linked his creativity onto other mediums than fashion and his many collaborations with brands including Nike, Mercedes Benz, and Ikea were early indicators of the virality of his ideas and how it is fruitless to fit him into the box of just a designer. Described as an eternal optimist and full of light from his countless friends, fans, and colleagues Abloh did not let the impending news of his death stop the already scheduled runway show for Louis Vuitton Menswear taking place in Miami, requesting as a final wish for it to continue, with many treating the event as their goodbye to the Ghanaian-American trailblazer.
This Year’s Fashion Awards in London Tribute Virgil Abloh
Just a day before one of the industry’s biggest nights, the BFC’s 2021 Fashion Awards, the community was shocked and gutted to learn about the sudden passing of artistic director of Louis Vuitton Menswear, Virgil Abloh. The fashion awards quickly became a tribute to Abloh and his life, with Idris Elba and Edward Enninful giving heartfelt messages about the designer’s impact on not only the industry but on individuals at large. In between the tributes, the winners of the categories were also announced, starting with Designer of the Year going to Kim Jones for his work at Dior Men and Fendi; LVMH Prize winner Nensi Dojaka brought home the BFC Foundation Award, Simone Rocha won the Independent British Brand Award, and Tommy Hilfiger received the Outstanding Achievement Award; Ib Kamara EIC of Dazed Magazine took home the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator and Gucci’s Alessandro Michele the Trailblazer Award. 15 other fashion innovators were also recognized as Leaders of Change by the British Fashion Council including the new EIC of Elle UK Kenya Hunt, Dylan Jones, Alessandro Michele, Virgil Abloh, Demna Gvasalia, Jonathan Anderson, Bethany Williams, Gabriela Hearst, Phoebe English, Priya Ahluwalia, Stella McCartney, Edward Enninful, Harris Reed, Samuel Ross, and Telfar Clemens.
[Fashionista]
Ermenegildo Zegna Rebrands As Zegna Ahead of IPO
Italian staple Ermenegildo Zegna is going through a rebrand as the company prepares for its IPO. The family ran luxury house announced their new logo and name on Instagram, “Zegna” with two striped orange bands on top of the bold font, insinuating the new era and road for the brand. The logo was inspired by founder Ermenegildo Zegna, who built Road SP232 over 110 years ago in the mountains of Northern Italy, Piedmont, near Trivero, where the company is based. The company, currently spearheaded by CEO Gildo Zegna, the third generation of the family states that he has “great ambitions for the next 111 years.” The new collection branded with the new logo is set to launch this Friday, Dec 3rd, and was heavily inspired by the company’s roots in the Piedmont mountains. As for the upcoming IPO, Zegna partnered with Investindustrial Acquisition Corp. for a deal that allows Zegna to continue its global expansion with a market capitalization of $2.5 billion. [CRFashionbook]
Saint Laurent Collabs With Sho Shibuya At Art Basel
Sunrises and bringing some sort of light to the public were on Anthony Vaccarello’s mind as we wrap up another year of the pandemic, so the artistic director chose to commission 55 of graphic designers’ Sho Shibuya paintings for this year’s Art Basel event. Vaccarello curated the sublime exhibition at a gallery space on the Miami beach, so viewers could look at the sunsets while the sun was actually setting. Shibuya says, “I thought, it’s a brave idea, that you will be able to look back and experience the sunrises from the turmoil of 2020 and 2021. Then, after you are finished looking at the painted sunrises, you can see the real sunrise on the ocean outside. It’s like a time capsule, or like a pathway from past to present, and perhaps a future, because I believe the sunrise carries with it some bit of hope or optimism for the future.” [Vogue]
Cardi B Is The First-Ever Creative Director For Playboy
Cardi B wears many hats, both couture and figurative, and just as the music star’s vodka-infused whipped cream sold out in minutes this past week, she also let the public know about her new role as creative director for Playboy. Not only is she the first-ever creative director, but a founding member of an upcoming platform, Centerfold a creator-led platform that is similar to Onlyfans. The rapper said, “It is a dream come true to officially join the Playboy family, I can’t believe this is real. For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt connected to Playboy. It’s truly the original platform for uncensored creativity and I’m inspired by its incredible legacy of fighting for personal freedoms. I have so many ideas already — I can’t wait!” [WWD]
