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From one best friend to another.
By Isaac Serna-Diez — Written on Dec 09, 2021
Kanye West’s rise in the fashion world was a quick one from the very beginning with the early virality of his “Yeezy” sneakers and the ongoing success of his homonymous fashion brand.
The rapper-turned-designer has long expressed his interest in fashion but he could be taking things to the next level with a rumored new position at Louis Vuitton.
Now that his close friend, Virgil Abloh, who was the creative director of Louis Vuitton passed away, West may be taking the torch and continuing Abloh’s work.
Will Kanye West replace Virgil Abloh as creative director of Louis Vuitton?
West is reportedly "lined up" to be the next creative director at the French fashion house.
According to a reporter for The Sun, the move to insert West as the creative director of Louis Vuitton was “masterminded” by the pair.
“Kanye is devastated about Virgil’s death because they had been friends for years and worked together a lot,” a source said. “They shared a similar vision and now Kanye feels he owes it to Virgil to continue his work at Louis Vuitton.”
Kanye West and Virgil Abloh were longtime friends.
Sometime in the late 00s, around 2009, West interned at Fendi with Abloh — where they became close friends and began collaborating with him, even crediting Abloh as the “creative director” of his creative content firm, Donda, which was devoted to his late mother.
Since their first meeting, both men have cemented themselves in the fashion industry.
A year later, Abloh was credited as the “artistic director” of West’s collaborative album with Jay-Z called “Watch the Throne,” which saw overwhelming critical and commercial success.
Much of West’s success can be attributed to his dear friend, who allowed him to design pieces for the firm in the past and even gave him the opportunity to succeed him in the future.
Kanye West famously supported Virgil Abloh's work at Louis Vuitton.
After Abloh's Louis Vuitton debut in 2018, the designer famously embraced his best friend on the runway, both men visibly emotional at their shared success.
During Abloh’s memorial last week, West was supported by his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, while he grieved for his friend who fought a two-year battle with the rare but aggressive cancer cardiac angiosarcoma, killing him at just 41 years old.
Kim Kardashian also shared her grief at the loss of the Off-White founder, saying “It’s simply hard to understand why. I have a hard time understanding why so many pure souls were taken away so early. Virgil — you were always so gentle, kind and calm. You somehow made time for everyone.”
The French brand is currently valued at $15 billion and could elevate West’s standing in the fashion industry and boost his net worth even more.
They also announced that their Spring 2022 show will “pay tribute to the life and legacy of a creative genius,” while Abloh’s final show with Louis Vuitton will be held in January.
Isaac Serna-Diez is a writer who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. Follow him on Twitter here.