Tag Archives: Virgil Abloh

The 10 Best Menswear Looks from F/W 19

Featuring leather pants, loose romantic shirts, and a major suit comeback, we’ve compiled some of the highlights of the F/W ’19 men’s season.

Image: Alessandro Lucioni.

Tom Ford’s Leather Suit

The American designer always delivers impeccable tailoring, but this leather suit is a standout. Paired with a simple black turtleneck and large aviator glasses, it was a fresh and sleek take on the polished menswear that Ford does so well. Similar suits were also shown by Alyx and Berluti, proving that 2019 is going to be a big year for men’s leather.

Image: Filippo Fior.

Loewe’s Looong Sleeves

Showing for the first time in Paris, Loewe (the Spanish label headed by J.W. Anderson) presented a series of knits with dramatically exaggerated sleeves. While oversized tops have become a staple for a few seasons now, it was nice to see a silhouette that focused on length rather that puffiness.

Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s Femme Top

The French designer has amassed a devout Instagram following in the past year thanks to his flashy and delicate take on menswear (as well as his sensual campaigns starring IG’s finest). This slinky and shimmering halter was a season highlight that would fulfill any music video fantasy.

Image: Alessandro Lucioni.

Palomo Spain’s Glam Rock Moment

Moving away from athleisure and streetwear, this season was a welcome return to the suit. Palomo Spain, the young Spanish fashion collective, known for its theatrical pieces showed this rhinestone suit that is just waiting to make its on-stage debut. Looking at you, Harry Styles.

Image: Alessandro Lucioni.

Thom Browne’s Cinched Waist

What’s great about Thom Browne is that he can do both super utilitarian and uniform tailoring and absurd large-scale runway shows. This elongated printed suit dress with fur cuffs and a cinched waist was a glimpse at the intersection of both these strengths.

Image: Alessandro Lucioni.

Louis Vuitton’s Utility Vest

It seems only fitting that Louis Vuitton, which helped spearhead the great fanny pack trend with its viral Supreme collab back in 2017, lets us know that it’s moved on to utility vests as the next it-accessory. Right there with you, LV.

Image: Filippo Fior.

Valentino’s Printed Overcoat

Retro menswear cues dominated this season, but this brown printed overcoat from Valentino showed us that simple things can elevate the staple pieces to a surreal place.

Image: Alessandro Lucioni.

Ann Demeulemeester’s Puffy Shirt

The Belgian designer presented an elegant range of oversized men’s blouses that would be fit on both a pirate and a romance novel cover. Billowy and rebellious, the shirts were a welcome contrast to the structured silhouettes that were frequently shown.

Image: Filippo Fior.

Études’ Keith Haring Tribute

Haring’s work remains an endless source of retro-inspiration for fashion and the design world at large, but this simple yet bold jumpsuit from the French design collective was a straightforward yet refreshing way to incorporate the artist’s iconic illustrations.

Image: Alessandro Lucioni.

Versace’s Feather-Lined Suit

Leave it to Versace to add some campiness to the suit-overload that was made apparent this season, offering a reminder that menswear can and should be fun.

How the Wynn’s Alex Cordova Won Vegas Nightlife

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With an increasing number of pop legends opting for residencies in lieu of touring (like Gaga, Xtina, and Cardi B, oh my!), Las Vegas remains an unparalleled entertainment destination. But after the show comes the after party, which is where Alex Cordova comes in. Since joining Wynn Las Vegas as its executive vice president and managing partner in 2016, Cordova has set a new standard nightlife on the Strip with the massive success of XS Nightclub at Encore.

“Over the last 10 years, XS Nightclub has continually provided our clientele with the most unique nightlife experiences housed inside the Las Vegas epicenter of excellence, Wynn Las Vegas,” Cordova shares over email. “We have always delivered a diverse music lineup featuring international superstars in conjunction with immersive experiences driven by our uncompromising customer service.”

A born-and-bred New Yorker, Cordova has garnished over 20 years in the industry, with a previous stint at Hakkasan Group, which manages a roster of venues including 1 OAK at the Mirage and Omnia at Caesars Palace. XS Nightclub remains a fixture that continues to intrigue patrons due to its commitment to introducing unique talent to the area — Cordova spearheaded last year’s Art of the Wild festival, which he marks as a crowning achievement. “It’s not often that a sole idea of mine gets fully realized on that scale and in such a short amount of time,” he remarks. “This was the first time in Las Vegas that an entire property showcased techno and house music for an entire weekend. It was amazing to see my vision come to life, and I feel humbled by how much joy it brought our customers and staff.”

XS Nightclub consistently attracts an A-list lineup of guest DJs, with Virgil Abloh, Diplo, Alesso, and the Chainsmokers all slated to perform at the venue throughout the summer.

“It’s the perfect blend of music, experience, and audience. It’s important to stay in tune with emerging trends and seek out up-and-coming brands in order to maintain our position as innovators in the nightlife space,” he says, on how he maintains such a vibrant club atmosphere. “Our job is to continually diversify and provide our clientele with what is new in nightlife experiences.”

Over a decade later, Cordova remains focused on amplifying nightlife in the city. “Our focus is in Las Vegas,” he proclaims. “Even with all of the accolades we’ve earned to this point, we are still working to realize the full potential of XS and are looking ahead to grow it further at home here at Wynn Las Vegas. This is our 10 year anniversary, and we are excited to be unveiling some big surprises to honor it. So, please stay tuned.”

Watch the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter ’19 Show Now

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Cover Image: Coutesy of Bertrand Guay

Watch the Louis Vuitton F/W ’19 show in Paris live on January 17th at 8:30 am EST.

Mr. Porter x Off-White Have Office Casual Covered

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Mr. Porter has partnered up with Off-White to launch “Modern Office,” an exclusive 44-piece capsule spearheaded by Virgil Abloh. The limited-edition range will include a mix of ready-to-wear items, sneakers, and other accessories fit for the working man.

“I’m happy to have our worlds collide, introducing the Mr. Porter consumer who may not be aware of Off-White, and bringing the Off-White customer who may not be aware of MR PORTER to an elevated place of luxury shopping,” Abloh said in a statement.

The collection marries the look of casual attire with sportswear sensibility. From the earthy trench-linen coat emblazoned with the Modern Office logo, the heavy cotton canvas jacket, to an assortment of sneakers leather sneakers, it’s the perfect blend transitional collection from office to courtside.

MR PORTER x Off-White will be available online on January 24th. Check out some of the pieces below.

Louis Vuitton Residency Takes Over Chrome Hearts

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Celebrating the launch of Virgil Abloh‘s debut men’s collection for Louis Vuitton, exclusive pieces from the SS19 collection are being made available at a temporary residency at Chrome Hearts‘ boutique in Manhattan’s West Village. Open for only a week, the conceptual residency carries some of the most popular items from the inaugural collection, including some transparent holographic monogrammed leather luggage and chunky psychedelic printed knitwear.

Additionally, in Midtown the flagship has been taken over by a colossal 12-story technicolor window display that creates an optical illusion and can be viewed street side, further emphasizing the fantastical theme of Abloh’s LV debut.

The Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2019 New York Temporary Residency will be open until January 17th, at 42 Bethune St, NY 10014.

SOPHIE Deserved Higher Billing in the Coachella Lineup

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Following rumors of Kanye West dropping out from the festival due to stage design restrictions circulated the web yesterday (Justin Timberlake also reportedly dropped out but life goes on), the lineup for Coachella 2019 was released last night. And with Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, and Ariana Grande all headlining, it’s turning out to be a pretty solid offering. Additionally, Janelle Monae, Diplo, Kacey Musgraves, Solange, Aphex Twin, Virgil Abloh (he’s also a DJ), SOPHIE, Blood Orange, Pusha T, and more are also set to perform over the three-day festival in the desert. Should make for a fun, drug-fuelled tie-dye weekend. My only issue is that SOPHIE should have been given higher billing.

SOPHIE, in case you didn’t know, is the Scottish PC-music wonder turned futuristic pop sensation who released one of the best records of 2018, OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES. She’s also worked with Madonna, Charli XCX, and Vince Staples, and is rumored to have contributed extensively to Lady Gaga‘s upcoming album. She’s pretty much the future of pop as we know it and her set at Coachella will be a sure smash. Now I think Childish Gambino is brilliant, Ariana Grande deserves the world, and I like Tame Impala as much as the next guy who still cuffs his jeans, but I just think that our dear SOPHIE deserves higher billing.

Tickets for the festival (April 12-14 & 19-21) go on sale Friday. Check out SOPHIE’s video for ‘It’s Okay to Cry’ below.

Off-White Redesigns DSM Logo in Exclusive Capsule Collection

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Off-White collaborated with Dover Street Market once again following the recent opening of its Los Angeles store. The newest collection is a monochromatic assortment of pieces featuring a newly designed logo for the store, and replete with Off-White founder Virgil Abloh’s signature quotation marks. In addition to the logo redesign, the collection features hoodies, bags, t-shirts, and caps among other accessories. Further graphic motifs include screen prints of slogans like “Watch Your Back” and the semi-deep “You Actually Fell in Love with an Image.” It’s a delightful collection that brings out the essence from both fashion influences.

The Off-White x Dover Street Market collection is available online now.

Images: Dover Street Market.

A Year of Designer Musical Chairs

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As the fashion industry continues to evolve from antiquated models, this year saw a significant number of high profile designer switch-ups. Several influential veterans of the industry stepped down from their positions in order to clear the path for the next generation of talent and to help propel these legacy labels into the future. Here are a few of some of the biggest changes we observed.

Virgil Abloh joined Louis Vuitton as Kim Jones moved to Dior

In June, designer Virgil Abloh debuted his vision as the artistic director of Louis Vuitton Men’s Fashion Week in Paris. Originally from Rockford, Illinois, Abloh is a renowned multidisciplinary expert across mediums, who introduced the world to a Wizard-of-Oz-themed LV collection that featured the yellow brick road, huge prints of Judy Garland, and many, many poppies. His personal brand, Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™ was started in 2012 and still operates from Milan.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgxo1YmHgWj/?hl=en

Kim Jones joins Dior as Kris Van Ashe departs to Berluti

Only three days after Kim Jones’ friend and mentor Abloh took the runway by storm with his Louis Vuitton men’s collection, Jones presented his first capsule collection after having taken over as artistic director of Dior. He official replaced Kris Van Assche in March, who held the role for eleven years. Led stoically by the KAWS plush teddy bear that took over Instagram just a few months prior, the English designer’s Dior SS19 collection introduced a new take on the mascot with pastel colors, whilst also featuring Prince Nikolai of Denmark as one of the models.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BprBIVlFPW0/

Kris Van Assche joins Berluti to replace Haider Ackermann

In April of this year, Kris Van Assche took over Haider Ackermann‘s role as the artistic director of Berluti, after Ackermann announced the end of his three-season reign just a week prior. Van Assche has yet to present his first collection for Berluti, which will take place in January 2019, when he will present his new take on the French fashion house as head of shoes, leather goods, ready-to-wear and accessories collections.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhGNa_fAL3Y/?hl=en

Clare Waight Keller joins Givenchy as Riccardo Tisci departs to Burberry

As the rotation of the luxury artistic directors continued, Riccardo Tisci vacating the Givenchy throne meant that it was time for British stylist and fashion designer Clare Waight Keller to take the reigns. After working at Chloé for seven years as artistic director, Keller was appointed the artistic director of Givenchy. In May 2018, Keller revealed one of her first designs for the label, a wedding gown and veil for the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle for her wedding to Prince Harry.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRs-l0tjQaZ/

Riccardo Tisci replaces Christopher Bailey at Burberry

Since Riccardo Tisci was appointed to replace Christopher Bailey as the chief creative officer at the English fashion house, Burberry is now officially run by two Italians (Marco Gobbetti took over as chief executive in October 2017). After having stepped down as creative director of Givenchy in 2017, Tisci debuted his new post with the Spring 2019 Burberry collection, which contained several classic Tisci-isms, including sleek tailored outerwear and peppered with Gothic imagery.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfxkTLAH1KO/?hl=en

Natacha Ramsay-Levi joins Chloé as Clare Waight Keller joins Givenchy

And since Clare Waight Keller’s position was vacated at Chloé, French fashion designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi took the baton in 2017 and made her solo debut with the Spring 2018 collection during Paris Fashion Week. Her debut Chloé line featured the pairing of pastel colors with hearty leather, floral dresses with combat boots, and other juxtapositions of femininity and the reification of fusion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRc8oT_l3PT/

Hedi Slimane replaces Phoebe Philo at Celine

Though Phoebe Philo designed for Céline (now Celine) for ten years, she graciously stepped down from her tenure as creative director, and Hedi Slimane was announced as her successor. After controversially changing the logo, Slimane introduced the world to his new take on the brand at Paris Fashion Week collection in September, which featured a very 80s-oriented take on new wave and rocker chic. Since Slimane is perhaps most renowned for his work at Yves Saint Laurent, many were disappointed to observe the precipice of Slimane’s government be headed by an all-too-familiar YSL-Slimane style. But there is still time for a turnaround.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeNYQfygyjA/

Louis Vuitton’s Oz-Inspired Pop-Up Takes London

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Images: Louis Vuitton.

On October 19th, Louis Vuitton celebrated its SS19 collection with a pop-up on Bruton Street in London, hosted by Virgil Abloh. The public will be able to view the collection until tomorrow, October 25th. Some of the guests that have already stopped by the shop include Frank Ocean, Rami Malek, Idris Elba, Rita Ora, Adwoa Aboah, among others.

The SS19 collection marks Abloh’s debut as newly appointed men’s artistic director, and was inspired by the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Fittingly, the pop-up was emblazoned with projections of poppy fields, a yellow brick road (to which guests are directed upon their entrance), neon installations, and shots of Dorothy, while the collection itself features bright colors and an abundance of vibrant accessories — faithful as ever to the land of OZ ambiance. Clearly, you’re not in Kansas anymore.

The Louis Vuitton Pop-Up Store is open now until tomorrow at 30 Bruton St, Mayfair, London W1J 6QR, UK.

Moët & Chandon x Virgil Abloh Rosé Champagne

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Photo: Courtesy of Moët & Chandon

Moët & Chandon, veteran of LVMH French house and America’s most purchased champagne, chose Virgil Abloh, now artistic director of menswear at a sister brand Louis Vuitton, to design two custom bottles of Moët Nectar Imperial Rosé. The result is a eye-catching pink bottle of bubbly with Abloh’s Off-White-tified stamp of approval saying “DO NOT DROP” all over and “FOR DISPLAY ONLY” string adorning the box it comes in. This marks Abloh’s first-ever liquor brand collaboration. Bottoms up!

Photo: Courtesy of Moët & Chandon

The collection will be officially available for purchase nationwide this October at clos19.com and select local retailers.

Off-White x Byredo’s Top Floor Style

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Images courtesy of the designers.

Byredo founder Ben Gorham and Off-White designer Virgil Abloh collaborated on Elevator Music, a unique capsule collection of fragrances, denim, T-shirts, and other accessories. Inspired by the studies of Swedish scientist Gunnar Johansson, whose work defined the framework of human movement perception, the capsule was first exhibited in Paris in a commissioned installation titled “The Elevator” by the artist Carsten Höller, who also found inspiration in the works of Johansson. Gorham and Abloh manage the impossible with Elevator Music: a balance between lofty inspiration and a practical, stylish, and accomplished aesthetic that works in any environment.

$990-1,660, available at Barneys New York and Byredo.com.

Front Row Shots at Louis Vuitton SS19

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Virgil Abloh’s inaugural collection for Louis Vuitton was a statement in every sense — from gradient-rainbow runway design to the inclusive guest list, which featured roughly around 1000 students from local universities. While a few classic Abloh-isms were embedded in the collection, including monochromatic looks, a unifying political statement, and straightforward graphics, the presentation remained grounded in its global ethos and promised a strong future for the label at the helm of fashion’s most compelling figure. Photos by Alessandro Russo for Essential Homme.