Businessweek
After a Summer Like No Other, Virgil Abloh Remains Fashion’s Eternal Optimist
“To me, as a creative, it’s a time to show resilience.”
Virgil Abloh at his home outside Chicago.
Photographer: Nolis Anderson for Bloomberg BusinessweekWhen Louis Vuitton unveiled its latest menswear collection, fashion felt normal for the first time in months: Models walked the runway in front of a chic audience, attendees cooled off with paper fans in between air kisses, and a surprise guest star—Lauryn Hill—serenaded the crowd.
Well, almost normal. The show was held in August, weeks before the standard time for next year’s spring-summer collection. It was also in Shanghai, thousands of miles from Paris, the typical location. Virgil Abloh, the designer, couldn’t make it to his own show because of travel restrictions between the U.S. and China.