Virgil Abloh died of cancer in November at the age of 41
Two years after France's first pandemic lockdown, Paris Fashion Week is almost back in full swing, with most homes returning to live shows.
The women's autumn-winter week begins with all eyes on Off-White on Monday, presenting the final collection by its founder Virgil Abloh, who died of cancer in November at age 41.
Abloh, a former Kanye West colleague, turned Off-White into one of fashion's fastest-growing brands and was recruited to head menswear for Louis Vuitton, before his career was tragically cut short.
Louis Vuitton, which has a majority stake in Off-White, believes the brand can continue to grow in Abloh's absence.
"Off-White is in a position where Dior was in 1957 (when its founder died)," Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke told Business of Fashion.
"The question is: What has the Founding Fathers left? If the legacy is rich, authentic, and steeped in values beyond fashion, the prospects for turning it into something eternal are great."
Off-white is returning to the catwalk for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic – and it's not alone.
Of the 95 houses on the official Paris calendar, only 13 have been completely online for this Fashion Week.
The 45 brands holding live catwalk shows include the biggest names including Dior, Chanel and Hermes.
Saint Laurent, who was left out of the official calendar during the pandemic, has returned to the regular line-up, vowing to set his own schedule.
Others are mixing online films and in-house presentations for buyers and the press - a concept that was devised during the pandemic and has been popular with many homes such as Japan's Issei Miyake.
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