Louis Vuitton Mens SS 2021
Within the multitude of multi-cultural references and personal, artistic, and societal influence, Virgil Abloh’s creative direction for Louis Vuitton is a symphony of disparate sounds including Jamaican Ska, K-Pop, Sun-Ra, Reggie, Rap, Lauren Hill, African House, and Future-Techno music. Amid Abloh’s odyssey, the designer has imprinted his progressive values, timely commentary, and eco-friendly principles to the international luxury brand. The spring-summer 2021 men’s collection, first shown in Shanghai, opened with a cartoon animation of characters on a “Zoooom with friends’ call. These characters hitched a ride on the lapels and bag of the models walking down the runway. Yet the every-so cute plush figures did not divert attention away from the accessories like the retro-futuristic collection of eyewear and delectable man-bags of every size.
Velvet logo printed ensembles shared the runway with Ska-inspired op-art checkerboard prints, which morphed into the reimaged classic LV checkerboard print. Striking single suiting in bold red, green, blue, yellow, and fuchsia stood ironically against the jewel-color pastel plaid patterns. Yet shown in tandem, this square-shouldered collection, except for a few capes, is cohesive, energetic, affirming, and far-reaching – geographically and generational in its appeal. Abloh, a master at interpreting the undercurrents and origins of personal style, redefines luxury with each collection. Louis Vuitton.
