Louis Vuitton men’s summer collection in collaboration with artist 21 Savage. Image credit: Louis Vuitton
French fashion house Louis Vuitton is paying homage to West Coast culture in its latest men’s 2021 summer collection created by Virgil Abloh.
For the collection’s campaign, the creative director aimed to convey a sense of the infinite, a common theme across his collections. To embody and highlight this theme and bring the collection to life, Louis Vuitton collaborated with American hip-hop artist 21 Savage in a colorful summer-inspired film.
A Louis Vuitton summer
Born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph in London and raised in Atlanta from the age of seven, 21 Savage is a Grammy award-winning rapper, songwriter and record producer. He has collaborated with artists such as Offset, Ty Dolla $ign, Young Thug, A$AP Rocky and Gucci Mane.
Inspired by the many colors of the summer sky, the collection’s film campaign focuses on three moments in time: dawn, afternoon and dusk.
A revisited watercolor Monogram has been introduced in shades of indigo, blurred together as if drops of water had touched the ink.
This pattern has also been interpreted across a range of ready-to-wear apparel, bags, accessories and shoes. Bright graffiti-like and watercolor-painted colors are at the center of this capsule collection, which includes pants, sneakers, duffles, cross-body bags, suits, hoodies, crewnecks, outerwear and jewelry.
The 2017 track “Close My Eyes” performed by 21 Savage and American record producer Metro Boomin plays as the soundtrack to the collection’s film campaign.
The collection’s scenic looks bring together the aesthetics of California’s skate, art and beach cultures, particularly Venice Beach.
Highlighting the Atlanta rapper’s relaxed and casual energy, the pieces are intended to convey emotions diffused with a sort of joyful nostalgia mixed with a sense of endless possibilities.
In recent collections and campaigns, Louis Vuitton has not shied from bright and cheerful themes. For its men's spring/summer 2021 collection, Virgil Abloh celebrated multiculturalism and self-expression in a new installment of his "Message in a Bottle" series.
The short film features models dancing and traversing through a brightly-colored set complete with balloons, New York City taxicabs, props and puppets in a setting where child-like imagination meets high fashion (see story).
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The Louis Vuitton men’s 2021 summer collection is available in select Louis Vuitton stores and online.
Musical influence
Like film or fine art, music and fashion have been seamlessly integrated throughout the histories of both industries. Musical artists and fashion designers have leaned on each other to inspire, motivate and circulate new ideas.
Italian fashion label Gucci tapped a trio of irreverent musicians for its men’s tailoring campaign, conceived by Alessandro Michele, celebrating the laidback lifestyle of a rock star. American rappers A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator joined Iggy Pop, the Godfather of Punk, in the campaign shot by longtime Gucci collaborator, photographer and director Harmony Korine (see story).
In both a historical and musical effort, French fashion house Chanel delved into the influence of music on its founder and how it informed her life and work in an episode of “Inside Chanel.” In Chapter 31, the short film highlights the ways Chanel cultivated her love for music, and how the entity permeated throughout her life (see story).