Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton menswear, Virgil Abloh, showcased his fifth collection for the brand last night in Shanghai.
In a first for the brand, garments for the SS21 show were made using deadstock textiles and previous seasons’ clothing.
Out of the entire show, only two ensembles were made of new material. 25 other looks featured recycled material and another 25 showcased items lifted from previous Vuitton shows, which were selected according to the design team’s favourite past looks.
Held in the city’s Pudong district, the collection carried on from the kaleidoscopic video the fashion house debuted at digital Paris Fashion Week earlier this year.
“For all intents and nuances, I have often spelled out the interceptive reality of myself as a Black man in a French luxury house,” Abloh explained in his seasonal manifesto. “I am well aware of my responsibilities. Rather than preaching about it, I hope to lead by example and unlock the door for future generations. … It’s my desire to imbue the traditional codes of luxury with my own progressive values. Nuance, like sarcasm, can be difficult to understand.”
The show also featured a live performance from Ms. Lauryn Hill, who announced at the end of her set that Abloh and Louis Vuitton had donated to her charity, the MLH Foundation.
She said: "On behalf of my performance, Virgil and Louis Vuitton have made a donation to the MLH Foundation, with all proceeds going to benefit black businesses affected by Covid-19 and other hardships”
Abloh was appointed to the position at Louis Vuitton in March 2018, making history as the first black man to ever hold the post.
