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Designed by the late Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton x Nike "Air Force 1" sneakers were first unveiled last year, making sneakerheads everywhere drool. The exciting merger of the luxury brand with Nike has brought back the classic "Air Force 1" 1982 'Swoosh' silhouette and could be one of the most-hyped Nike collaborations to date.
The first peek of the sneakers was given in June 2021 in Virgil's 2022 Summer-Spring men's collection. Virgil Abloh designed 47 pairs of the Louis Vuitton and Nike "Air Force 1" in different colorways. Prior to his passing on 28 November 2021, the talented artistic director was directly involved in the planning of the auction.
Now, his family members and close friends will be associated with the auction that is taking place in collaboration with Sotheby's. The auction will be in honor of Virgil and the benefits will be forwarded to the Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund.
1) The "200" special edition of Virgil Abloh's Louis Vuitton x Nike ‘Air Force 1'
The Louis Vuitton x Nike ‘Air Force 1' will be an extremely special edition with just 200 pairs in total. The sneakers are made entirely of precious calf leather that is embellished with the beloved "LV" monogram and Damier patterns with a natural piping of cowhide. The special edition will be available in a range of sizes from 5 to 18, with a starting bid of $2000. Held at Sothebys.com, the bidding by NikexLV will start on 26 January 2022 and go up to 8 February 2022.
2) The Air Force 1 pairing with Louis Vuitton pilot case
Each of these 200 pairs will be sold with a pilot case of Louis Vuitton, which is also a part of Summer-Spring 2022 collection of the label. The case is a reinterpretation of the Maison's archive in the iconic colorway of 'orange' and is made up of Taurillon leather. It will feature the classic S lock closure of Louis Vuitton in a metal finish and will also include a tag of Nike's 'Swoosh' on the case. These pilot cases will be an exclusive item to the auction, each of them adapting perfectly to every shoe size because of its internal cushion system.
3) Proceeds from the auction will go to the Virgil Abloh™️ "Post-Modern" Scholarship Fund
In July of 2020, Virgil created the "Virgil AblohTM “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund" in partnership with the "Fashion Scholarship Fund". The scholarship was launched with donations from many brands such as Farfetch, Louis Vuitton, Nike, New Guards Group, Evian, and the legend himself, Virgil Abloh of $1 million.
The scholarship has a mission to foster inclusion and equity in the fashion industry by giving scholarships to students of African-American, African or Black descent. The addition of the word "Post-Modern" signifies that the support won't just be in a fund, but continuous support in careers and mentoring through the FSF (Fashion Scholarship Fund).
4) The Virgil Abloh sneakers community campaign before the auction
From January 19, 2022, a few selected individuals who inspired Virgil and the collaboration for the sneakers will receive the "Air Force 1". The pairs will be in customized colorways and will not be part of the auction or any commercial sale. In the lead up to the auction, this gesture honors Abloh's view of sneakers as a cultural symbol of the heritage of hip-hop. During his time at Louis Vuitton, Abloh was a celebrated figure who was inclusive of all cultures and communities that were a huge part of his vision and brought him up as an artist.
5) Store Launch and Exhibition prior to the Louis Vuitton x Nike "Air Force 1" auction
Louis Vuitton will open an exhibition for all sneaker enthusiasts which will feature all the 47 original pairs from the Summer-Spring 2022 collection. The exhibition will take place from January 19 before the actual launch of the collection. The auction will feature different colorways and will be priced in line with starting bids.
