Louis Vuitton has announced that Virgil Abloh is joining the brand as its new Artistic Director of Menswear.
Abloh is the founder of Off-White, and is also Kanye Westโs Creative Director and longtime collaborator. West and Abloh also interned together at Fendi in 2006.
Abloh is set to show his first collection for Louis Vuitton during Menโs Fashion Week in Paris in June.
In a statement regarding Ablohโs new role, CEO of Louis Vuitton, Michael Burke, said (via WWD):
โHaving followed with great interest Virgilโs ascent since he worked with me at Fendi in 2006, I am thrilled to see how his innate creativity and disruptive approach have made him so relevant, not just in the world of fashion but in popular culture today. His sensibility towards luxury and savoir-faire will be instrumental in taking Louis Vuittonโs menswear into the future.โ
Of his new role with Louis Vuitton, Abloh said (via WWD), โIt is an honour for me to accept the position of menโs artistic director for Louis Vuitton. I find the heritage and creative integrity of the house are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times.โ
According to Bloomberg, โWhile Abloh has kept quiet regarding his work for West, he rose to prominence in the fashion industry as a consultant for the rapper,โ advising and collaborating with him on Yeezy, as well as music releases.
Speaking to The Guardian in March 2018, Abloh said of his Off-White label, โMy brand started in the streets and the alleys of the internetโI come from a different school of thought about clothing. I understand people see it as fashion. To me, this is an art practice.โ
This article originally appeared on marie claire US