Never Say Good Bye - Louis Vuitton's Last Show For Virgil Abloh in Paris

Virgil Abloh's farewell collection was unveiled by Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week on Thursday, following his death last year at the age of 41, which stunned the industry. Abloh was the first black American to be chosen creative head of a prominent French fashion business, and he introduced streetwear like as hoodies and sneakers on the runway. He was a close associate of Kanye West.

Following a secret battle with illness, the multi-talented DJ, architect, and designer died in November. Kim Jones, the creative director of Dior, paid respect to the man who took over Louis Vuitton in 2018.

To accommodate the socially dispersed throng, Louis Vuitton held the event twice on Thursday. According to the brand's CEO Michael Burke, the collection was 95 percent ready at the time of Abloh's death. That has given the corporation more time to find a replacement for the coveted position, though matching Abloh's street reputation may be difficult. "It's an ambitious decision, just as Virgil's choice was audacious," said Serge Carreira, a fashion expert at Sciences Po University in Paris. "He epitomised a new way of being in fashion that included broader culture and society into the mix. He spoke to a wide variety of people and used less elitist references "Carreira added.

Before joining Louis Vuitton, Abloh operated his own enormously successful Off White label and was a pioneer of brand collaborations, collaborating with Nike, Evian, and even Ikea.

"Virgil showed a lot of people how to be multi-disciplinary and not scared to create anything you wanted," said Bianca Saunders, a young British designer who debuted her collection at Paris Fashion Week recently.

Former colleagues Samuel Ross and Heron Preston, Reebok designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, and British artistic director Grace Wales Bonner are among the many possibilities rumoured to replace Abloh's shoes.Kanye West's name has also been mentioned. With a starting price of USD 2,000, Louis Vuitton is auctioning 200 pairs of Nike Air Force 1 shoes designed by Abloh. The funds will go to its "Post-Modern" foundation, which supports African and Afro-American fashion students.