On November 28th, 2021, Virgil Abloh passed away at the age of 41 after losing the fight to cardiac angiosarcoma. And while spectators across the world mourned the Off-White-frontman, they also wondered how his partners Nike and Louis Vuitton would handle any posthumous release. Today, both international institutions have shared official release details of the Air Force 1 collection Abloh designed for Spring/Summer 2022 via WWD.
Handfuls of the late multi-hyphenate’s friends and family members shared looks at four exclusive colorways of the Louis Vuitton Air Force 1 – yellow, orange, purple and blue – which will not see a retail launch. Before the full collection is released via L.V. stores only after February 8th, 200 pairs of a monogram style (pictured above and below) will be auctioned off through Sotheby’s. Bids will start at $2,000 USD and take place online; various sizes of the single colorway will be available, and all 200 auctioned pairs will arrive with an debossed orange leather trunk, which also won’t see a commercialized release. Sotheby’s auction will benefit the “POST-MODERN” scholarship fund that Abloh founded to help Black fashion students, marking the first of several related initiatives scheduled for the remainder of 2022.
Enjoy detailed images of the monogram Louis Vuitton Air Force 1 low-top ahead. Sotheby’s auction officially opens on January 26th and will close on February 8th; pairs will be available between sizes 5 to 18 (Men’s).
For more from the NIKE, Inc. empire, check out all 2022 Air Jordan release dates.
UPDATED JANUARY 26TH, 2022: Full details on the Louis Vuitton Air Force 1 auctions
Images: WWD
