Proceeds will benefit the Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund, which in collaboration with the Fashion Scholarship Fund, academically supports promising students of Black, African-American, or African descent. Auction marks first-ever release of Louis Vuitton and Nike's “Air Force 1s” created by Virgil Abloh in collaboration with Louis Vuitton and Nike for the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 Collection. Prior to his death on November 28, 2021, the Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton Men was involved in the early organization of the auction and surrounding events. The auction will take place in collaboration with his family.
Open to offers until February 8th, the online auction dedicated to Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh (Sothebys.com/NikexLV), will include 200 pairs of a special edition Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh sneaker originally created for the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 men's collection. The 200 pairs of the special edition will be made available in a range of sizes, from 5 to 18, and with a starting offer of $2.000. The sneakers, entirely made of fine calfskin, are embellished with the emblematic Louis Vuitton Monogram and Damier motifs with natural cowhide profiles. Each pair will be sold with a Louis Vuitton pilot case, also from the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 collection, which has been reinterpreted from the Maison's archive in an iconic orange colourway and crafted in Monogram Taurillon leather. The pilot case features Louis Vuitton's classic S-lock closure with white metal hardware and includes a Nike Swoosh-shaped luggage tag. The pilot case adapts to any shoe size, thanks to an internal cushioning system, and will be exclusive to the auction. Sotheby's has a long history of auctioning the rarest and most desirable trainers and holds the world auction record for any pair of trainers. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund, in accordance with his wishes.
Celebrating its 1th year, the Nike Air Force 40 was designed in 1982 and is one of the most successful iconic shoes ever created. At the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 Men's show presented in June 2021, Virgil Abloh designed 47 pairs of Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh sneakers in collaboration with Nike. The sneakers have been crafted from materials used in Abloh's Louis Vuitton Men's collections, fusing classic sneaker codes with Louis Vuitton insignia and materials in homage to the hip-hop culture that shaped it. The shoes have been styled with his quotes that echo the written graphics Abloh used to adorn his work. The individual models designed for the show were crafted by Louis Vuitton at its shoe factory in Fiesso d'Artico, Italy.
In July 2020, Virgil Abloh created the Virgil AblohTM “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund in partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund. Launched on a $1 million donation from Virgil Abloh and partners Evian, Farfetch, Louis Vuitton, New Guards Group and Nike, its mission is to promote equity and inclusion in the fashion industry by providing scholarships to students black and African American academics. , or African descent. Virgil Abloh called the fund "Post-Modern" to mean that the beneficiaries will receive not only funds, but ongoing career support and mentorship services through the FSF. “Postmodern” scholars are selected each year from FSF's network of more than 66 colleges and universities in the United States, including eight HBCUs, through the FSF Annual Scholarship Competition.
