Kris Wu in The First Wave of The Louis Vuitton x Nigo LV² Collection

Style, Editor's Pick

Kris Wu in The First Wave of The Louis Vuitton x Nigo LV² Collection

By Bryan Goh
June 26, 2020

You already know who Kris Wu is — the 1.87 metres tall Chinese-Canadian rapper, actor, singer, record producer and formidable Instagram thirst trapper. But we’re here instead to turn your attention to Japanese designer Nigo aka the man behind Human Made, A Bathing Ape and the co-founder of The Billionaire Boys Club.

While it doesn’t come as surprise that Virgil Abloh has tapped him for a collaboration (the news was announced in March this year), the Louis Vuitton x Nigo LV² Collection isn’t just any collaboration.

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It is the most anticipated Louis Vuitton collaboration of the season (just check the Louis Vuitton x Nigo hashtag on the ‘gram) and we’re not just saying it because of its British subculture meets Japan streetwear god sensibilities.

While the French luxury house has not seen anything along the likes of the Supreme collaboration in recent years, Virgil Abloh’s first big collaboration for the house is as democratic as it’s cool — as fly as its wearable and as timeless as it’s in-the-now.

In short, it’s a creative endeavour to challenge what both brands are able to do. A meeting of two cult minds — one that is obsessed with Savile Row tailoring and the other, youth culture.

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The most unexpected piece of the Louis Vuitton x Nigo LV² collaboration: the reworking of the classic British club tie. It comes in a monogrammed version too.

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The only two references to Nigo’s own brand is a duck motif that’s titled the “LV Made” duck and a reference to Human Made’s signature done in Louis Vuitton’s own styling. However central to the Louis Vuitton x Nigo LV² collection is the mash up of Louis Vuitton’s own signatures — the Damier check that’s been blown up and the LV monogram that comes in wave-like stitching.

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How do you make an iconic house logo spiffy? You add some British-inflected tailoring.

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While Abloh has previously mentioned that streetwear is on the verge of dying, it’s important to not see this collection as streetwear-inflected. Think of it as Abloh doing what he does best — recontextualising elements from youth culture, the street and the everyday man and injecting a shot of cool and relevancy.