English Summary
Editor’s Letter
By Igor Garanin
(page 8)
Summer is in full swing. You can allow yourself to enjoy life a little more, to dream about your upcoming vacation a little more, and to think about serious, worldly topics a little less. People interested in fashion have something to talk about: there’s lots of news – inconclusive, sometimes contradictory, but always subject to lengthy debates and the configuration of futuristic concepts. You know everything. Céline is launching a clothing line for men, with Hedi Slimane as creative director. Haider Ackermann showed his last collection for Berluti, and Kris Van Assche of Dior Homme was appointed in his place. The position at Dior didn’t remain empty for long, and now it is occupied by Kim Jones, a friend to GQ, and he was replaced at Louis Vuitton by Virgil Abloh. Many consider this an epoch-making event that will push the boundaries of the industry and transform perceptions in the global fashion world.
He is the first African American in history to head a European fashion house. He doesn’t have a specialized education: Abloh studied civil engineering and architecture at university. He has had a very complex career: in 2009 he had an internship with Fendi, and there he met, befriended, and worked a great deal with Kanye West. In 2013 he launched his own cult brand Off-White – and suddenly got the job that many spend half their lives trying to get via serious positions in the most famous fashion houses. This was the reason for the hullaballoo surrounding Virgil’s debut show for Louis Vuitton in Paris. June, scorching heat, Palais Royal Square. The runway is 220 meters, decorated all colors of the rainbow. There are 700 students on either side whose education is connected one way or another to fashion. It’s a compliment to them from a person who achieved his dream – after all, they are also all dreaming of doing something as significant, they want to become famous. After Abloh’s show he approached Kanye West, gave him a hug and began to cry. He walked to the end of the endless runway toward the photographers, wiping away tears. And all 700 students, without stopping for a second, filmed and filmed his sentimental outburst (I’m not sure how genuine it was) on their smartphones. In that moment everything became clear to me: Louis Vuitton had made the only correct decision you could make in 2018 – they hired a person capable not only of attracting the most influential people to the brand (does it even need to be said that Kanye’s wife was at the show?), but who also had the sense to invite 700 microbloggers who in the coming years will be the most loyal fans to their benefactor and everything connected to him. Generation