Ephemera

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Fashion

Vetements AH22-23: Bitcoins Are a Girl's Best Friend

December 07, 2021

What does luxury mean in our virtual reality? While lavish living was once defined by Marie Antoinette-esque abundance, the digital age introduced a new type of wealth measured in follower counts and clicks. As fashion evolves with extravagance, Vetements updated the look of luxury for the next generation of tycoons – those soaring to elite status through cyber clout and cryptocurrency. High-end meets high-tech in Vetements Fall/Winter 22-23 Collection with a new type of couture for the online aristocrat.

The collection emphasizes the current cryptocurrency craze through prints of million-dollar bills, computer chips for bitcoin mining, and lucky lottery tickets. Despite the youth’s desire to get rich fast, the age of social media and surveillance conjured a new currency worth even more than cash – privacy. A line of full bodysuits with masks act as “a real-life VPN,” offering a solitary escape from a world where eternal networking and constant connection are capital. With this, Vetements raises the question of what really defines luxury in today’s cyber-obsessed society.

Text by: Megan Hein
Photos Courtesy of Vetements

While the internet can change your life overnight, Vetements adapts to this fast-paced phenomenon with a collection of transformable pieces and garments in disguise. As pants can become different lengths and coats turn into jackets, the line is ideal for the new-age girlboss on the go. Hop from your Monday morning meeting to a night on the town with their velvet bathrobe that evolves into an evening coat or long skirt doubling as a draped dress.

With the return of their signature graphic tees, one reads “Money can’t make me happy, but Vetements can." All 72 looks were presented via digital show alongside 1 billion fake dollar bills, making it “the cheapest most expensive set in the history of fashion.”

Check out more from the collection below.

Fashion

Virgil Was Here: Louis Vuitton hosts Abloh’s final collection

December 04, 2021

On Sunday, November 28th, the internet broke with the news that Virgil Abloh, the visionary best known for expanding one's design framework, passed due to a rare form of cancer. His career redefined the term multidisciplinary changing the landscape for music, culture, fashion, and design. His latest venture came to life at Miami's Marine Stadium with the SS22 Louis Vuitton collection, a rendition of the Paris show that happened this past summer.

The fashion giant permanently embedded his vision, influencing Louis Vuitton for years to come through meticulous design, marking a farewell brought on too early. While Abloh's legacy encapsulates endless accomplishments, he undoubtedly had more insight and wisdom to offer the world. While the collection embodied every ounce that Abloh stood for including the concept of coming of age connecting his love of aspiring artists and young talent, the show ended with a powerful quote bringing the audience back into reality, one that many believed was only a twisted dream— "Life is so short that you can't even waste a day subscribing to what someone thinks you can do, versus what you can do."

Text by Michael Hall
Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Following Abloh's unknowingly final presentation, Miami lit up with fireworks and drones displaying the message, "Virgil was here," a celebration of the monumental impact he had on the world. The stadium also housed a towering statue of Virgil Abloh holding an iconic LV-monogram book watching over viewers extending his already known presence. While each look hit the runway and the company came and went, a giant red LV hot air balloon stood by the show's side paired with a paper plane that flew around the harbor.

This curated spectacle brought together powerhouses from Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, and a long list of other influential attendees. The show began with a soundtrack exploring the wonderful and expansive taste of Abloh and his relationship with music. While the looks occupied the runway, a sense of equal parts mourning and admiration consumed the stadium. Vibrant color and modern silhouettes strutted, connecting Louis Vuitton's recognizable pieces with Abloh's undeniably fresh outlook.

Kicking off Miami's Art Basel, a week where the city is flooded with buyers, enthusiasts, and artists, Louis Vuitton gracefully concluded their era with the one and only Abloh in celebration of his life, achievements, and philosophy, informing a new generation and changing the fashion landscape forever. You will forever be missed, Virgil, but never forgotten. Thank you for creating space and a pathway for creatives to thrive and be themselves unapologetically.

Check out Louis Vuitton's SS22 collection and the show that said farewell to a Great that reconstructed the artistic canon below.