Virgil Abloh poured his heart and soul into the worlds of fashion and footwear, and it is only fitting that Louis Vuitton pays tribute to his work in this way.
The Virgil Abloh-designed Louis Vuitton and Nike Air Force 1 was one of the most anticipated collections to hit the runway before his tragic death, and the French luxury house has decided to commemorate the collaboration with a special immersive activation in New York City.
A warehouse-turned-exhibit in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood shines a light on all 47 eccentric sneaker designs, and we got a closer look at the space. A giant statue of a man busting a breakdance pose stands just outside the venue, and it is covered in the late creative’s signature gradient motif.
As soon as you enter the space, you are greeted by a monogrammed wall on one side and an oversized LED screen on the other, which plays a looping video of the shoe-making process.
There are various installations throughout the space that highlight each of the unique colorways. Each piece is numbered and placed on a table or high on a wall to create the illusion of floating. While the iconic question “Are you a tourist or a purist?” adorning the tops of certain structures.
A giant treehouse decked out in LV’s monogram print serves as a home for Abloh’s mood board, a glass case containing every component of the kicks, a DJ booth with graphic-treated turntables, and an LV-branded tire swing are all located in the back of the exhibition.
Looking out from the treehouse’s upper level, you can see that each of the displays is strategically placed to form the merged insignia of the French fashion house and Nike.
