Louis Vuitton opened a temporary residency in SoHo beginning January 14, that pays homage to the last work of Virgil Abloh and his creative vision.
The collection featured in the installment was inspired by the 1969 drum solo by The Winstons, Amen Break: “Adapted by the hip-hop and jungle genres, it would splinter into thousands of the pop, rock, and metal tracks most familiar to us today.” For Abloh, it represented “a metaphor for the myth of ownership in contemporary creativity,”
More than a shop, this is an immersive fashion experience for visitors where they can discover the entire range of clothing, footwear, accessories and leather goods from the the men’s spring/summer 2022 collection that back in June was presented with a film also named “Amen Break” directed by Virgil Abloh and Mahfuz Sultan. The collection was later completed with 10 new looks, shown in the Miami runway show that followed Abloh’s passing and paid homage to his contribution to the brand.
The game of chess became the inspirational focus for the store, with a checkered floor that references both Abloh’s ongoing use of this pattern in his works and the signature Damier invented by Georges Vuitton in the 19th century. The black-and-white floor contrasts the fluorescent color gradients from the collection. Also, the geometrical pattern clashes with the organic silhouettes of the birch trees scattered around the space, in a nod to the runway from the Miami Spring/Summer 22 Men’s Spin-Off show. Oversized chess pieces rendered in electric hues and reflective walls complete the scenery.
To complete the tribute to the late designer the façade of Louis Vuitton’s 5th Avenue boutique will be featuring a ten-story mural of Abloh. The image is painted in a vibrant neon gradient, and it is the same one that was used to render the sculpture of the designer for the Spin-Off show. In it, Abloh is seen wearing his signature oversized sunglasses, an LV sweater, loose-fitted pants with an LV belt and sneakers.
You can visit Louis Vuitton’s Temporary Residency at 104 Prince Street in New York City and check-out the iconic ten-story mural at 1 East 57th Street outside the Maison’s 5th Avenue flagship location.
