The late Virgil Abloh’s Nike Air Force 1 collection for Louis Vuitton is slated to become this year’s most hyped fashion collaboration. In honor of its emblematic last designer, the fashion house partnered with sportswear giant Nike to launch a nine-piece limited edition sneaker collection.
The two brands geared up to release a new collection created by the late designer who was the design house’s men’s artistic director. Abloh died in November after a private two-year battle with cancer.
Designed by Virgil Abloh, the collection first debuted in June 2021 at Louis Vuitton’s men’s spring 2022 show. In February, 200 pairs were sold exclusively at Sotheby’s, which auctioned the sneakers to benefit Abloh’s “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund. The auction generated $25.3 million. Louis Vuitton and Nike also celebrated the collection in May with an exhibit in New York City.
Abloh was inspired by “Amen Break,” a drum break in the 1969 song by The Winstons, which is one of the most recognizable samples in hip-hop and jungle music. Abloh compared the drum break to the Air Force 1 sneaker, as the style was first introduced in 1982 and was a popular sneaker in New York’s hip-hop scene.
Coming from the streetwear community, the artistic director considered the Nike Air Force 1 as a cultural symbol in its own right. And today, the two fashion icons merged to create the most authentic high-end sneakers. The Air Force 1 is elevated to an art object by Virgil Abloh, who saw it as an emblem of this subculture.
The sneaker collection includes a variety of colors and design elements. The nine-piece assortment features all-white and all-black sneakers embossed with the Louis Vuitton logo, a white checkered version featuring graffiti-style art, a metallic gold style, and a multi-colored style featuring a silver chrome toe, among others.
Although the collection has already sold out on Louis Vuitton’s website, we can’t help but celebrate the streetwear and modern approach that Virgil Abloh brought to the long-established fashion house.
Words By Melodie Bitala-Samba
Header Image: Louis Vuitton X Nike
