Louis Vuitton relaunches its collaboration with the NBA (in photo), continuing to follow the path drawn by Virgil Abloh. All without, at least for now, nominating the heir and entrusting the job to those that worked closely with Mr. Abloh. It appears that this is the best way to develop on what the stylist did in the past. A sort of experiment founded on “collaborative creativity”, but is it destined to pass, or will it remain in time?
Vuitton relaunches with the NBA
The Christopher backpack, a compartment, a wallet, and a large Keepall 55 bag, all made in light blue Taurillon leather. Sono These are the main accessories part of the third capsule collection developed by Louis Vuitton and dedicated to the NBA, the US National Basketball Association. Not by chance, the collection’s launch took place during the first of the Finals NBA games, between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics. A launch, and a renewal that take place following Abloh’s star, who began this collaboration in 2020.
What about the heir?
Meanwhile, the heir to Abloh is still to be nominated. Vuitton announced that it will present its Summer 2023 collection at the end of June (in Paris). The designer? The creative office of the brand. So, it’s not clear if the brand wants to avoid nominating a creative leader or if the difficulty in taking charge of Abloh’s inheritance is blocking the nomination. NSS Magazine points out that some luxury brands have, in the past, entrusted their creative leadership to the “collective”, but that this has never happened for a brand as large and relevant as Louis Vuitton.
Collaborative creativity
The concept of collaborative creativity, free and open, was part of Abloh’s vision. If the brand’s forecasted solution is to entrust the creative directory to a collective, we could be facing a new “silent” revolution for the fashion system. Another view could be that Louis Vuitton is managing the disappearance of its creative director with respect and dignity. Thus: it’s waiting for the right moment to nominate the heir, and most importantly the right name. The heir will have a difficult challenge: that of following in his ancestor’s footsteps or create something extremely different. We will have to wait and see.
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