The incomparable legacy of Virgil Abloh was celebrated last night as Louis Vuitton unveiled the beloved designer’s final menswear collection with the house.

Aptly named “Virgil Was Here”, the house’s Spring-Summer 2022 Men’s Spin-off show set in on the uplifting flash of a pre-recorded clip of a young child bounding towards a striking red Louis Vuitton hot air balloon, right before the live-streamed display cut to the show’s Miami-bound runway, of which the same hot air balloon hung over. With VIPs from across the globe, including the likes of Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Pharrell and Rihanna, to name a few, turning out to celebrate their dear friend, his magnetising force over the fashion world was felt, even before the collection’s reveal.

With a towering Virgil Abloh statue guarding the runway, 72 looks from his spring-summer 2022 collection were re-visited as electric coloured suits and rainbow trapper hats reigned supreme alongside 30 never-before-seen cuts, reinforcing the awe-invoking nature of his re-written menswear codes. While watching the likes of Kid Cudi carrying the maverick’s final collection along the sunset-soaked catwalk was emotional enough, that is not where Virgil’s presence at last night’s show ended. With his soft voice reading out words of wisdom, ones that spoke to his fierce work ethic and beautiful mind, a sombre-yet-uplifting tone was set. All around, yet nowhere to be seen, Louis Vuitton masterfully proved that the legacy of the “creative genius, visionary, and disruptor” will ring throughout the fashion world, endlessly.

But, while the catwalk itself was a touching tribute to the designer’s revolutionary work, that is not where the sentiments ended. In a spectacular drone display at the show’s afterparty, the Miami skyline was set ablaze with animated odes to Virgil, including the LV monogram, the designer’s initials and the most poignant message of all: “Virgil Was Here.”

Head below to watch Louis Vuitton’s spectacular “Virgil Was Here” show…