In 166 years of history, Louis Vuitton had never created skate sneakers. Perhaps because a true skater had never been part of the Maison, at least until the arrival of Virgil Abloh, creative director of the men’s line since 2018. “I’ve been skating since I was 8 years old, it’s in my DNA,” he says. “It’s also a community to which I feel a strong sense of belonging.” A community that is particularly courted by the world of luxury today. For my generation, skateboarding was like a rite of passage. That culture shaped our taste and understanding of fashion, becoming a fundamental component of contemporary style.”
Lucien Clarke, the professional skater, creative, and photographer who collaborated with Virgil Abloh on the creation of A View.
Samuel Ashley“I named the sneakers A View for this reason: from the design to the entire project, it aims to represent the view of the future of a historic Maison.” The new model was conceived hand in hand with professional skater Lucien Clarke: “Virgil and I are on the same wavelength, we speak the same language,” he explains.
A View, the first skate shoe by Louis Vuitton available from November 13th.
“For some time, the world of luxury has been trying to appropriate skate culture because it’s considered cool, but it has always done so in an inauthentic and disrespectful way. This is the first time that fashion has collaborated with our community in a legitimate manner. With Virgil, we discussed the project for two years before being able to materialize it. After his first show for Louis Vuitton, where I walked wearing the multi-pocket vest, I sent him a video of me skateboarding in it: the sneaker was the natural evolution.”
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