In light of nearly relentless talk that ties together Virgil Abloh and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton – Questions have included: Is Abloh going to LVMH-owned Givenchy? What about replacing Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton? Is LVMH investing in Off-White? – it first appeared as though the reason for such chatter actually stemmed from an impending collaboration between Rimowa, the luggage brand where LVMH boss Bernard Arnault’s son Alexandre Arnault is co-CEO, and Abloh’s brand Off-White.
However, as of Thursday’s Vogue Forces in Fashion event in New York, which Abloh attended with a bag from Louis Vuitton’s collection with artist Jeff Koons, a collab with Vuitton – or rumors that Virgil has nabbed a top spot in the brand’s menswear division – might be back on the table. Take a look at the strap. “Louis Vuitton” c/o Virgil Abloh © 2017. This is either a case of trademark infringement (you cannot exactly throw Louis Vuitton’s name and/or monogram toile on anything without the brand’s authorization), a not-for-sale project between the two … or this is the debut of a collab.
Our sources say it is definitely the latter, although specific dates and offerings are currently unknown.
If this is, in fact, a collaboration between the two (note: neither party has confirmed it), it will be the latest in a string of projects as of late for Off-White, which has partnered with Nike, IKEA, Rimowa, Dr. Martens, Jimmy Choo, and Champion within the past several months.