A combination of street-cowboy and high fashion…
For the long-awaited Louis Vuitton Fall / Winter 2021 men's collection, Virgil Abloh told the story of departures, through different lenses, exploring prejudices about different people, based on their clothing, gender, life and sexuality. Creating narratives through archetypes including ‘Artist’, ‘Salesman’, ‘Drifter’ and others, this collection hides several themes represented by performances inspired by ‘Stranger in the Village’ by James Baldwin and conceptual art by Lawrence Weiner.
When it comes to fashion, Virgil Abloh has explored a new aesthetic that is experimental and at times unconventional, including coats that are so long to drag on the floor, skirts and models inspired by bathrobes. Of course, the original streetwear influences of the designer were also present as a recognizable LV monogram design that covered suits, bags and scarves, but also pieces such as college jackets, puffer jackets and blazers. Abloh presented skirts, taking a page from the Thom Browne handbook, while he also presented streetwear cowboy aesthetics, through statement boots, belt buckles and striking hats.
Another motif presented in the collection is ‘Tourist vs Purist’, something that Abloh particularly emphasized, exploring the unwritten rules of the society in which we live. He uses this term to describe outsiders who observe the world around them and strive for the domain of knowledge it offers, as opposed to insiders, who already rule these segments.
All in all, the collection is an eclectic mix of bold pieces and statement accessories, with green as the leitmotif. Here, in addition to streetwear aesthetics, we can also see Abloh's love for architecture, which will definitely appeal to all his loyal fans.
