Meet Virgil Abloh, the man designing your next Louis Vuitton

The maison has replaced artistic director Kim Jones with the founder of Milan's Off-White fashion label

Virgil Abloh. Photo by Christophe Petit Tesson

In another batch of fashion merry-go-round, Louis Vuitton has just announced Virgil Abloh as its new artistic director of menswear, replacing Kim Jones, who recently left.

In an undoubtedly canny move, Vuitton has opted to hire the man behind the of-the-moment label Off-White, presumably to capitalise on Abloh’s appeal to a newer, younger audience.

Born in Chicago in 1980, Abloh studied civil engineering and got a master's degree in architecture, before interning at Fendi in 2006 (alongside friend and client Kanye West).

Possessed with an unerring knack for staying one step ahead of the collective mood, Abloh was a finalist for the LVMH prize in 2015, for his Milan-based label Off-White.

Speaking of Abloh’s appointment, Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman & CEO said: "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 also in popular culture. His sensibility towards luxury and savoir-faire will be instrumental in taking Louis Vuitton’s menswear into the future."

Abloh's first collection will be released in June 2018.

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