Louis Vuitton Hires Kanye Collaborator Virgil Abloh as Artistic Director of Menswear

Abloh is Kanye West's Creative Director, and previously interned at Fendi.

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Louis Vuitton has announced today that Virgil Abloh is joining the brand as its new Artistic Director of Menswear.

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Abloh is the founder of Off-White, and is also Kanye West's Creative Director and longtime collaborator. West and Abloh also interned together at Fendi in 2006.

Abloh is set to show his first collection for Louis Vuitton during Men's Fashion Week in Paris in June.

In a statement regarding Abloh's new role, CEO of Louis Vuitton, Michael Burke, said (via WWD):

"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. His sensibility towards luxury and savoir-faire will be instrumental in taking Louis Vuitton’s menswear into the future.

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Of his new role with Louis Vuitton, Abloh said (via WWD), "It is an honor for me to accept the position of men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton. 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."

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According to Bloomberg, "While Abloh has kept quiet regarding his work for West, he rose to prominence in the fashion industry as a consultant for the rapper," advising and collaborating with him on Yeezy, as well as music releases.

Speaking to The Guardian in March 2018, Abloh said of his Off-White label, "My brand started in the streets and the alleys of the internet–I come from a different school of thought about clothing. I understand people see it as fashion. To me, this is an art practice."

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Amy Mackelden
Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.