The first drop of LV²: the new Louis Vuitton x NIGO collection

Last December Virgil Abloh announced his upcoming collaboration with the legendary NIGO, founder of A BATHING EPA, Billionaire Boys Club and current creative director of Uniqlo UT as well as o ne of the forerunners of modern streetwear. In March, Abloh had made public the first official lookbook of the LV² collection inspired by the aesthetics of British Mods, of which today was announced the release date: June 26. During a lengthy interview with Vogue, Abloh recounted how the collection was born:

“We met in his studio [in Tokyo]. He has a completely vertical fashion brand with Human Made. In one building, he designs, does the photo shoot, does the manufacturing. I was impressed by that. We had subsequent meetings in my studio in Paris. They were really hands-on. Our strongpoint is the art direction of the concept. What people might be most surprised by is that for two guys known for streetwear history and ability, the collection is completely the opposite. That was our starting point: Let’s not do the expected. Let’s not put streetwear in a box. That’s the epiphany within the collaboration..

The collection covers all areas of menswear, from tailored suits to outerwear, from jeans to accessories to leather goods. The two graphic protagonists are the plaid pattern, called LV Damier Check, and the dripping effect. Especially in leather goods such as bags and backpacks the two patterns mix, creating the effect of the classic Louis Vuitton monogram that "drips" on the plaid sections. The "drip" effect represents a perfect fusion of the languages of the respective designers, Nigo had in fact introduced it for the first time in his collections for Icecream. Some of the items closest to the streetwear codes are denim suits and a black nylon puffer jacket, while the rest of the collection belongs to that new sartorial luxury that Abloh has been working on since his Pre-Fall 2020 "Pivot" collection for Off-White™ .  

The release date of the LV² collection designed by Virgil Abloh and NIGO is set to release on June 26 and will take place in all Louis Vuitton stores and online on the brand's official website.