Louis Vuitton
Models walk the Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2022 Menswear show

Today, Virgil Abloh‘s last Louis Vuitton collection walked the runway in an emotional tale of his time at the luxury Parisian Maison. The tribute show titled The 8th Field, went beyond the luxurious garments that walked the runway. For its first of two shows scheduled for today on the official Fashion Week calendar, Louis Vuitton delivered a 360 cinematic performance enjoyed by a live audience and viewers from home.

Ahead of the models even taking the runway, an orchestra performed as gymnastics took to a never-ending staircase jumping on and off an inflated cushion. As models began to take the runway, showgoers immediately recognized signature silhouettes and styles from Virgil’s tenure at the Maison. The riveting collection packed a powerful statement referencing eight seasons of Abloh’s work from his beginning at Louis Vuitton in 2019. Matching floral sets filtered throughout the collection—a nod to his SS20 collection. A sweater first debuted in Pre-Spring 2020 depicted his design team makes a comeback in a new purple colorway. The streetwear meets the high fashion code Abloh established for the Maison in his inaugural show.

Besides new sneakers and bags (including an exterior paint bucket bag), Abloh was continuously innovating and emphasizing; the collection didn’t pack much newness. And it wasn’t its purpose to do so but rather create a sense of nostalgia and gratitude to Virgil’s legacy. Models dressed in all white wearing angelic wing harnesses (another signature of Abloh’s Louis Vuitton) took the runway, followed by other looks paired with baseball cap veils, another example of the late designer’s streetwear meets high fashion aesthetic. 

In addition to the tribute shows presented today during Paris Fashion Week, Louis Vuitton has their hands busy with a string of other events and activations to celebrate their bicentennial. Paying tribute to the brand’s heritage, Louis Vuitton is opening an exhibition displaying 200 original and unique trunks created by 200 visionaries and friends of the Maison. The collective tribute to Louis Vuitton’s founder started in Asnières, near Paris, in December 2019, and will make a world tour touching down in Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, New York, and London throughout 2022. The Maison is also partnering with Sotheby’s to auction off 200 Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” created by Virgil Abloh with proceeds benefitting The Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund.

Ahead, experience the cinematic performance and tribute to the last eight seasons of Virgil’s Louis Vuitton below.