Virgil, Louis V and RiRi

Virgil Abloh, Instagram, June 2018.

Virgil Abloh knew who to speed-dial when he was assembling the guest list for his June 2018 debut collection for Louis Vuitton in Paris. Rihanna was guest of honour and wore one of his soon-to-be-signature, oversized, unstructured, white suits to celebrate – an androgynous shape that Rihanna favours time and time again. Abloh would pass away just over three years later, having expanded the LV range and the meaning of luxury fashion – mixing up references and adding streetwear suave.

Abloh was not just a genius, he was kind, sharing and creatively supportive. And perhaps it’s just a coincidence but when RiRi herself launched Fenty, an LVMH-backed brand of her own in May 2019, it would mirror in many ways some of the Abloh DNA shown at the Vuitton show, embracing inclusivity, hip-hop and a cooler-than-anything attitude.

this page: Designer Virgil Abloh and Rihanna hugging after the show. opposite: Rihanna in a white LV jumpsuit at the Louis Vuitton Menswear S/S 2019 show, Paris, 21 June 2018.