Louis Vuitton will carry out one of Virgil Abloh’s final wishes with a fashion showing on Tuesday (Nov. 30.) He was hired as the artistic director of menswear for the luxury label in 2018. The 41-year-old died on Sunday (Nov. 28) after privately battling a rare form of cancer for several years. Initially, the brand shared a post of mourning in his honor.
“We are all shocked by this terrible news,” wrote Bernard Arnault, CEO of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) on Instagram. “Virgil was not only a genius designer and a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMJ family joins me in this moment of great sorrow and we are all thinking of his loved ones on the passing of their husband, father, brother, son and friend.”
The brand continued to honor Abloh’s legacy by revealing his final collection would debut as planned, just as the designer wished.
“It is with profound sorrow that I learned of the passing of Virgil Abloh. Virgil was not only a friend, great collaborator, creative genius, visionary and disruptor, but also one of the best cultural communicators of our times,” wrote Louis Vuitton’s Chairman, and CEO Michael Burke on Instagram.
“He paved the way for future generations. As a devoted supporter of his community through his charities and passions, he was an eternal optimist who believed anything was possible. In this same spirit, we at Louis Vuitton will proudly continue to celebrate his legacy with a final show in Miami, per his wishes. I am honored to have called him my friend. My deepest thoughts are with his wife, children, parents, family and the entire community that was touched by his greatness.”
Abloh’s Spring-Summer 2022 Collection will be presented in Miami today (Nov. 30) at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Additionally, the brand shared a tribute video Virgil Was Here. Watch the short clip above.