Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams unite at Louis Vuitton show to celebrate Virgil Abloh
Giant statue of Abloh positioned next to show venue
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West reunited on Tuesday evening to celebrate the life their mutual friend, the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who passed away on Sunday after a private two-year battle with cancer.
Abloh, who was the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear, was honoured at the brand’s spring/summer fashion show, which was held in Miami and debuted some of the designer’s final pieces for the label.
Kardashian and West, who split up in January, were pictured in the front row of the show with their eight-year-old daughter, North, making a rare joint appearance for the former couple since their split.
According to Vogue, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were also in the audience.
In honour of Abloh, a giant statue of him was created and placed beside the show venue.
In one photograph, Williams is seen saluting the statue prior to the show beginning.
The runway opened with a voiceover of Abloh talking about a return “to childhood wonderment”.
Louis Vuitton’s CEO, Michael Burke, also delivered a speech.
“The deeply moving show we are about to see is born out of an idea Virgil and I first discussed three years ago,” he said.
“It is based around the traditional coming of age narrative, but of course, being Virgil, he spun and recontextualized the concept for the 21st century, and in doing so expressed his own unique talents and vision.
“This idea of coming of age was important to Virgil because inspiring and empowering younger generations defined who he was.
“He used the platform he had to break boundaries, to open doors, to shed light on his creative passions, art, design, music, and of course, fashion, so that everybody could see inside—not only to dream of being part of that world, but to also find ways to make that dream a reality.”
The show itself comprised a collection of more than 80 designs, including fish backpacks, neon two-pieces, and collegiate jumpers. American rapper Kid Cudi also walked in the show.
Following the show, a light display appeared with the words “Virgil Was Here”.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies