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Virgil Abloh has made history at Louis Vuitton once again.
Since being named artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear ready wear line back in 2018, Abloh has breathed new life into the iconic brand with a nod to streetwear. Now, he’s giving the brand more edge with the signing of skateboarder Lucien Clarke.
The designer made the groundbreaking announcement on Instagram alongside a photo of the two admiring his newly designed skate shoe.
“just signed Jamaica’s own @lucienclarke to 𝓛𝓸𝓾𝓲𝓼 𝓥𝓾𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓷 as the first skater deal of this type. gave him free reign to design his pro model. been filming clips for a year now. first official advert is in the @thrashermag that’s shipping in a second…” wrote Abloh.
The Off-White boss wasn’t kidding about the advertising in legendary skate mag, Thrasher, Clarke took to Instagram to show off the full page spread.
In the slide show, he also showed off the skate shoe that’s done up in all black save for orange hits on the sole and heel. The shoe is pretty lowkey but does have a few nods to Louis Vuitton, including the logo on the tongue and nods to ’90s skate footwear with its chunky silhouette. The skater’s name is also scribbled on the side, and he teased a Grey/Green colorway as well.
Clarke had previously been featured in LV’s runway shows and modeled in look books for Vuitton and Palace, so incorporating fashion into skate world is nothing new to him.
Abloh recently spoke to Fast Company about breaking barriers and wanting to help the up and coming Black artists, who, like he once was, are trying to make a name for themselves.
“I didn’t grow up with many icons or idols to pattern my career on,” Abloh says. “But at my businesses, I’ve seen artists and designers of my skin color do things in two months that took me 25 years to accomplish.”
Pricing, availability, and other release information have yet to be formally announced.
