Watching the LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S COLLECTION BY VIRGIL ABLOH FALL-WINTER 2022 was bitter sweet. If felt like we black creatives and street wear lovers finally arrived in style! Who would have ever thought that the boys in the hood would be the faces of a luxury house. Now will ever see this again, then we are reminded that Virgil is gone but not forgotten. Yet, this collection proves his genuine desire to speak to the streets and what they want to wear. Athletes to musicians want Haute Couture for men, and thug looks fans will covet.
LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S COLLECTION BY VIRGIL ABLOH FALL-WINTER 2022
‘AN OCTOLOGY ACCORDING TO VIRGIL ABLOH.’ COLLECTION 8: IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS.
PARIS, JANUARY 2022.Imagination: the human faculty of forming new ideas not already present to the senses
It was a breath of fresh air to see those skinny jeans are a thing of the past. And fitted caps are back. We loved the bling factor of the sequined tack suits and of course the sneakers to match. We also seem to be going back to school with lettermen jackets mixed with and ode to the grunge error.
Definition and redefinition are key to understanding the work of Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton. Supported by his seasonal Vocabulary – “a liberal definition of terms and explanation of ideas” – his eight-collection arc is founded in the desire to change our ways of seeing. Using fashion as a tool, his premise lies in decoding the biases associated with the components of human appearance. He wants to recode the way we treat each other according to how we look and present ourselves. One of Virgil Abloh’s most used terms, imagination is what fuels this dream. It’s what drove him to Louis Vuitton and what defines his legacy at the Maison.
Executed in eight parts between 2018 and 2022, the work of the Men’s Artistic Director is never content with simply imagining new clothes and accessories. He seeks to evolve the human values with which we imbue our dress codes, and test how they – as social, political and cultural signifiers – can be used to implement change beyond fashion. Driven by that imagination, the 𝓛𝓸𝓾𝓲𝓼 Dreamhouse™ conceived by Virgil Abloh for Fall-Winter 2022 (Collection 8) serves to condate the themes and messages of the arc he created at Louis Vuitton. It’s an octology that plays out in the tradition of the Hero’s Journey: the age-old story of the underdog, who is tried and tested, and becomes a sensation in the eyes of his spectators.
The coming-of-age story unites the designer with his audience, and allows future generations to mirror themselves in his experience. At its root is his Boyhood Ideology®, the childlike sensibility observed throughout his oeuvre. Virgil Abloh defines the Boyhood Ideology® as the unspoiled outlook of a child, who is yet to be affected by the preconceived ideas of society. He wants to reset our preordained perceptions and start from scratch where clothes are clothes and humans are humans. To cement this methodology, he frames his shows in childlike whimsy: the 𝓛𝓸𝓾𝓲𝓼 Dreamhouse™ of Collection 8, the bouncy castle and build-your-own-kite kit of Collection 3, or the rainbow runway of Collection 1 where it all begins.
LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S FALL-WINTER 2022 SHOW Thug Life to Couture
I actually want so many pieces of the collection to wear and to hold as collector’s items. The presentation actually brought tears to my eyes. Knowing that it was the last and thinking about if the next creative director would continue Virgil Abloh legacy. I loved the fact the show ended like an Haute Couture look for a male bride. Which spoke to the times we live in.
The LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S COLLECTION BY VIRGIL ABLOH FALL-WINTER 2022 was inclusive of every genre of man. We as black creatives in fashion have finally arrived and hip hop is the muse and soundtrack to our lives. Ya Dig, Yeah Boy. The collection spoke to all ages of men. What did you think?