Virgil Abloh's Last Louis Vuitton Men's Collection Was the Perfect Final Bow

Virgil Abloh left us with a posthumous swan song that was a culmination of the transformative work the designer created while at the helm of Louis Vuitton menswear. 

The Fall/Winter 2022 collection, named Louis Dreamhouse, was fittingly shown among large-scale house structures, like a severed roof complete with a blowing chimney, an oversized bed, and a lengthy dining table at which musicians sat. The set, as with Abloh’s previous runway backdrops, became just one whimsical element to a multi-sensory narrative. This time, the Chineke! Orchestra musicians seated within one of the runway’s tableaus played an original composition created by Tyler the Creator (who sat front row), while 20 dancers accompanied the 67 models on the runway.

From the streetwear elements that Abloh introduced to the luxury house to more tender touches like floral prints and nipped in waists, the collection reflected the multifaceted direction of menswear today—that Abloh himself helped guide throughout his career. Some elements could be seen translated from previous collections, like the sporty detailing seen in the Spring/Summer 2022 show, while others, like the romance of the all-white looks that closed the show, felt entirely new.

As the seamstresses and workers from the atelier emerged from backstage to a standing ovation, joining the models on the runway in an embrace, it was clear that beyond clothes, Abloh created community, a sense of home.