Riding a bicycle, a black child speeds through the city buildings of Miami, weaving through the streets and alleys, heading towards that giant red hot air balloon. He boards the hot air balloon and ascends into the sky, symbolizing the story of the little boy’s dream flight, also alluding to his journey to heaven… Two days ago, Virgil Abloh passed away suddenly, shocking the entire fashion industry. Following his wishes, Louis Vuitton will present the Spring/Summer 2022 menswear show as scheduled, in line with the original plan and echoing the Art Basel Miami event happening this week, to commemorate the important impact this designer had in the realms of fashion, art, and culture.
Just yesterday, at the Miami Harbor Pier under the cover of night, Louis Vuitton staged Virgil Abloh’s final collection “Virgil was here.” Inside the venue, there were large Virgil statues, projections in the sky saying “Virgil was here,” and the image of paper airplanes floating in the sky… The guests who attended were Virgil’s former designers and friends from the fashion industry, including the sympathetic Kanye West (YE), Kim Kardashian West, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, Fear of God’s founder Jerry Lorenzo, and more. They gathered together to pay their final respects to their dear friend; friend Kid Cudi even made a surprise appearance on the runway to walk in his friend’s final show, with the entire design team coming out to take a bow on his behalf.
When the runway lights dim and the rainbow-colored ambient lights come on, Virgil Abloh’s voice suddenly comes from the air: “There is no limit. Life is so short you can’t waste even a day subscribing to what someone thinks you can do versus knowing what you can do.” This marks the final punctuation of his farewell.
After Louis Vuitton announced Virgil’s passing, Off-White also displayed a tribute to him on a cruise ship by the beach in Miami with the slogan “FOREVER”. Virgil blazed a trail in fashion during his short life, how many will remember him in the future remains to be seen, but at least he was here, we remember, his name was Virgil Abloh.
