New products / Fashion house - 5/7/21
Transversality: a mathematical notion of interconnecting spaces. Or: a fashion theory intersecting the histories, legacies and memories of two or more aesthetic entities.
For Pre-Fall 2021, the LVxNBA Men’s Collection expands the frames of the ongoing collaboration between Louis Vuitton and the National Basketball Association (NBA). In its second season, the meeting between the House and the professional basketball league explores our collective memories of the two cultural institutions around the time of 1990s’ basketball mania. Men’s Artistic Director Virgil Abloh fuses the trademarks of Louis Vuitton and the NBA in a transversal celebration of pop culture, fashion and sports. The collection celebrates the unifying and inclusive moments of the game and its diverse characters, and reflects the values of familiarity and relatability key to the work of Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton. Select pieces in the collection were conceived alongside the designer Don Crawley, an expert within the space of unifying design and sport. Crawley collaborated on a blouson, shorts and a Keepall adorned with the iconography of the game, as well as the collection’s emblematic basketball and hoop objets.
Following the LVxNBA line’s original premise, the second collection proposes a complete wardrobe reflected in the idea of the three dress modes of a basketball player: travel, game, and press conference. For travel, casualwear manifests in relaxed takes on suits such as a blouson and trouser quilted in the pattern of the Louis Vuitton floral motif, in a hoodie saturated in LV logo with corresponding shorts, or a technical parka matched with performance trousers. Inspired by the game, informal blousons, shirts and shorts are adorned in graphic multi-colour letters spelling out ‘Louis Vuitton’ – each font referencing the typeface of an NBA team – while shorts are emblazoned with the House’s varsity-style logo. For the player’s press conference wardrobe, formalwear interprets a 1990s sensibility in a boxy black suit and overcoat. A graphic embellished leather bomber nods at the hero jackets native to the game.
Bags featuring basketball-net detailing and NBA insignia – debuted in the first collection – expand into new editions, including ball pouches and basketball carriers. A new line of leather bags with a grain developed to evoke the texture of a basketball appears as vintage-inspired, natural leather-coloured designs and black editions with patching. A tribute to the hero jacket, a Keepall is introduced in black embossed Monogram leather with red python inlays, while another Monogram Keepall sports python trimming. Letter-adorned slides and Monogram derbies nod at the travel wardrobe, while Monogram ankle boots pay homage to courtside dress codes, and furry mules represent the press conference.
A tribute to the jewellery worn by basketball players in the 1990s, chain necklaces are magnified to extra-large dimensions. Similarly, a ring adorned with the LVxNBA logos mimics the championship rings central to the culture of the game. The collection furthermore features a number of lifestyle objects including a blanket and a cushion in wool and cashmere Monogram with a hand-stitched letter embellishment. The ultimate emblem of the LVxNBA union, Louis Vuitton’s first-ever basketballs are made available in a 29.5” life-size version as well as a 5.11” small-scale collector’s item sold with a hoop mounted on a backboard akin to the House’s trunk. Designed by Virgil Abloh, the limited-edition balls were produced by Wilson Sporting Goods Co. – the official game ball supplier, beginning with the league's 75th anniversary season in 2021-22 – in line with the authentic savoir-faire principles of Louis Vuitton. Adorned with its logos and the NBA insignia – and, in the case of the life-size ball, debossed with the Louis Vuitton Monogram – the basketballs were crafted in premium composite material emulating the classic colour of basketballs and the leather traditionally used for the House’s luggage. In turn, the leather used elsewhere in the collection imitates the grain of classic basketball material.
For Pre-Fall 2021, the LVxNBA Men’s Collection expands the frames of the ongoing collaboration between Louis Vuitton and the National Basketball Association (NBA). In its second season, the meeting between the House and the professional basketball league explores our collective memories of the two cultural institutions around the time of 1990s’ basketball mania. Men’s Artistic Director Virgil Abloh fuses the trademarks of Louis Vuitton and the NBA in a transversal celebration of pop culture, fashion and sports. The collection celebrates the unifying and inclusive moments of the game and its diverse characters, and reflects the values of familiarity and relatability key to the work of Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton. Select pieces in the collection were conceived alongside the designer Don Crawley, an expert within the space of unifying design and sport. Crawley collaborated on a blouson, shorts and a Keepall adorned with the iconography of the game, as well as the collection’s emblematic basketball and hoop objets.
Following the LVxNBA line’s original premise, the second collection proposes a complete wardrobe reflected in the idea of the three dress modes of a basketball player: travel, game, and press conference. For travel, casualwear manifests in relaxed takes on suits such as a blouson and trouser quilted in the pattern of the Louis Vuitton floral motif, in a hoodie saturated in LV logo with corresponding shorts, or a technical parka matched with performance trousers. Inspired by the game, informal blousons, shirts and shorts are adorned in graphic multi-colour letters spelling out ‘Louis Vuitton’ – each font referencing the typeface of an NBA team – while shorts are emblazoned with the House’s varsity-style logo. For the player’s press conference wardrobe, formalwear interprets a 1990s sensibility in a boxy black suit and overcoat. A graphic embellished leather bomber nods at the hero jackets native to the game.
Bags featuring basketball-net detailing and NBA insignia – debuted in the first collection – expand into new editions, including ball pouches and basketball carriers. A new line of leather bags with a grain developed to evoke the texture of a basketball appears as vintage-inspired, natural leather-coloured designs and black editions with patching. A tribute to the hero jacket, a Keepall is introduced in black embossed Monogram leather with red python inlays, while another Monogram Keepall sports python trimming. Letter-adorned slides and Monogram derbies nod at the travel wardrobe, while Monogram ankle boots pay homage to courtside dress codes, and furry mules represent the press conference.
A tribute to the jewellery worn by basketball players in the 1990s, chain necklaces are magnified to extra-large dimensions. Similarly, a ring adorned with the LVxNBA logos mimics the championship rings central to the culture of the game. The collection furthermore features a number of lifestyle objects including a blanket and a cushion in wool and cashmere Monogram with a hand-stitched letter embellishment. The ultimate emblem of the LVxNBA union, Louis Vuitton’s first-ever basketballs are made available in a 29.5” life-size version as well as a 5.11” small-scale collector’s item sold with a hoop mounted on a backboard akin to the House’s trunk. Designed by Virgil Abloh, the limited-edition balls were produced by Wilson Sporting Goods Co. – the official game ball supplier, beginning with the league's 75th anniversary season in 2021-22 – in line with the authentic savoir-faire principles of Louis Vuitton. Adorned with its logos and the NBA insignia – and, in the case of the life-size ball, debossed with the Louis Vuitton Monogram – the basketballs were crafted in premium composite material emulating the classic colour of basketballs and the leather traditionally used for the House’s luggage. In turn, the leather used elsewhere in the collection imitates the grain of classic basketball material.
Designer:
Louis Vuitton
Model:
Ottawa Kwami
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