STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES
PAUL DELA MERCED REPORTS FROM KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, ON VIRGIL ABLOH’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
All in all, it has been a crazy productive first year at Louis Vuitton for Virgil Abloh a.k.a. the “busiest man in fashion.” So, it wasn’t really a shock when he took a three-month hiatus—as per doctor’s orders—in September last year. So, perhaps in a more poetic move, through his Men’s Spring/ Summer 2020 collection, Abloh invites us to do the same: to stop and smell the roses, literally and figuratively.
Abloh’s design aesthetic is all about elevating streetwear to luxury echelons. This, and having an active dialogue on diversity and inclusivity, are evident in his first anniversary collection.
The Men’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection is filled with soft pastels, Barbie pinks, dainty florals and asymmetrical pleated skirts—design elements usually seen on womenswear. The designer has introduced gender-fluid elements into his latest offering.
Abloh had chosen the idea of wild flowers as a metaphor for diversity. Bibs and bags were embellished with fresh flowers and sundried blooms, jackets and trousers had colorful floral embroideries and bursts of botanical prints are seen on a number of looks, all seeming with Louis Vuitton’s unparalleled savoir-faire.
A closer look at the bags would reveal a fresh take on leather goods—be it their shape or size or treatments. A pyramid-shaped aquamarine
“Abloh had chosen the idea of wild flowers as a metaphor for diversity”
see-through bag embroidered with the LV Monogram is an obvious standout, as well as the eye-catching 3D neon mini trunks. Then there’s the iconic LV Keepall: one has hand painted flowers and the other is tied with randomly placed blue ropes.
Shoes also got the blooming gardeninspired treatment. Abloh has modernized the Wellington boots and combat boots by experimenting with different materials and prints, while his signature LV trainer boots are made extra colorful for the seaon. Covetable accessories are aplenty. There are new belts— holographic belts, floral belts, reversible colorblocked Epi leather belts—and sherbet-colored eyewear and chain trinkets.
An avid fan of modern art, Abloh also referenced the remarkable works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. He presented rope belts, chunky ties, neat pleats and billowy shapes on the runway—his interpretations of global contemporary dressing.
With these modern design iterations and fashion-art experimentations, it’s safe to say that Virgil Abloh’s florals for spring/summer 2020 are groundbreaking.