Style

Telfar Clemens, Martine Rose, and Grace Wales Bonner Reportedly Considered to Succeed Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton

While no official announcement has been made regarding the future of the role, a new report claims a decision is expected to arrive within weeks.

Virgil Abloh is pictured at a Louis Vuitton event
Image via Getty/Kristy Sparow
Getty

Telfar Clemens, Martine Rose, and Grace Wales Bonner have reportedly been considered as potential successors to Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton.

At the time of his death at the age of 41 last November, Abloh, among his many other creative projects, served as Louis Vuiton’s menswear artistic director. In a new report from Business of Fashion, sources are cited as having revealed the three aforementioned designers as among those in consideration for the role, an announcement regarding which is said to be coming as soon as “within weeks.”

Elsewhere in the report, available in full here, various experts contribute thoughts on what a brand of Louis Vuitton’s stature is likely looking for in a successor to someone as uniquely impactful as Abloh. Highlighted as among the attributes of highest potential artistic value for such a brand is the ability to tell a story through one’s work.

In April, Off-White—which Abloh founded in 2012—announced the appointment of Ibrahim Kamara to the role of art and image director. In a statement shared at the time, Off-White CEO Andrea Grilli pointed to how the designer’s work fits into the brand’s “next chapter” following Abloh’s death.

“In the wake of Virgil’s tragic passing we have been working tirelessly to keep his legacy alive and the brand relevant as a point of reference and platform in constant evolution,” Grilli said.

Next month, the new Virgil Abloh Award presented by LVMH will be introduced by Harlem’s Fashion Row as part of the 15th Anniversary Fashion Show and Style Awards. Issa Rae is the inaugural recipient of the award, which is intended to honor those “who embody Virgil’s spirit, brilliance, and vision” in their own work.

Related Stories

Virgil Abloh is pictured in a posthumously released interview
style

Mercedes-Benz Shares Behind-the-Scenes Look at Project Maybach With Virgil Abloh

In the newly released video, viewers are given a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the uniquely innovative and boundary-pushing collaborative endeavor.

Trace William Cowen1358 days ago
Virgil Abloh Figures of Speech Merch Lookbook
style

Best Style Releases: Brooklyn Museum 'Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech' Merch, Kenzo, Nina Chanel Abney, and More

Kenzo, Heron Preston x Zellerfeld, 'Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech' Brooklyn Museum merch, and other great drops are highlighted in this weekly roundup.

Lei Takanashi1399 days ago
Ibrahim Kamara poses for a photo
style

Ibrahim Kamara Joins Off-White As Art and Image Director

It announced Saturday that Ibrahim Kamara is joining the company as its new Art and Image Director, a position in which he will oversee artistic direction.

Brenton Blanchet1466 days ago

Stay ahead on Exclusives

Download the Complex App