In March, Virgil Abloh made headlines when he was announced as the new artistic director of menswear for Louis Vuitton, becoming the first African American to hold the position. (Might I add, we’re still shook and inspired by that.)
Today, Thursday, Abloh debuted his first collection for Louis Vuitton Men. As he walked the runway to take his final bow, his first triumphant embrace was with friend Kanye West, with a hug that seemed very emotional but filled with joy.
This was a great week for Abloh, as his own label, Off-White, also premiered his Bart Simpson-inspired collection in Paris.
Abloh has steadily worked his way up to this level of success. Back in ’09, he and fellow Chicagoan West interned together at Fendi. West later appointed Abloh the creative director of his agency, Donda. (Editor’s note: West recently clarified that Abloh was not his creative director, but his “creative collaborator.”)
Along with West in the front row were wife Kim Kardashian West and her sister Kylie Jenner with boyfriend Travis Scott. Other faves were there as well, such as Rihanna, model Naomi Campbell, rapper A$AP Rocky and actor Chadwick Boseman.
Not content to have celebs only in the audience, Abloh also featured Kid Cudi, Playboi Carti and Steve Lacy as models in his show.
Abloh did it for the culture, and the culture came out to support. Check out some of the stars in the crowd: