Virgil Abloh is the new artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton following the departure of Kim Jones earlier this year, the elite fashion house announced the news on Instagram.
“It is an honor for me to accept the position of men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton,” Abloh said in a statement. “I find the heritage and creative integrity of the House are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times.”
Abloh is currently the creative director of Off-White, a label he founded in 2012 which he earned praise and commercial success for making urban streetwear attractive in the high-end fashion market. He’s also a longtime creative director of Kanye West.
The 38-year-old American designer, who received his Masters of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology, won the Urban Luxe prize at the Fashion Awards last year for Off-White and has been nominated for both Menswear and Womenswear Designer of the Year at 2018 CFDA Awards.
“Having followed with great interest Virgil’s ascent since he worked with me at Fendi in 2006, I am thrilled to see how his innate creativity and disruptive approach have made him so relevant, not just in the world of fashion but in popular culture today,” Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “His sensibility towards luxury and savoir-faire will be instrumental in taking Louis Vuitton’s menswear into the future.”
Jones has been the artistic menswear director of Vuitton for six years before showing his final set in January. Abloh’s first Vuitton collection will be unveiled during the Paris Men’s Fashion Week in June.
