Abloh’s Nike/Louis Vuitton sneakers beat auction estimates

NEW YORK, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Bids for 200 pairs of Nike/Louis Vuitton “Air Force 1” sneakers designed by Virgil Abloh are well above Sotheby’s initial estimates at an auction within a week.

The sale, which the creative Louis Vuitton designer helped plan before his death from cancer at 41 in November, will benefit the Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” scholarship fund for blacks, African Americans and students. of African descent in the fashion industry. .

“We’re currently at around $6.1 million in hammer price,” Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles Brahm Wachter said Tuesday when bidding reached $80,000.

The original total estimate was $1-3 million for the January 26-February 8 auction. On opening day, the number of auctions broke Sotheby’s online sales record.

The leather sneaker features Abloh’s signature quotation marks and signature Louis Vuitton motifs. Each comes with a limited edition orange pilot case.

“On a size 5 there is only a pair and a size 18, again there is only a pair. When you get to a size 10 or a size 8 there are more,” Wachter said.

The sneakers were the first official collaboration between Nike and Louis Vuitton.

“It’s really about bringing together two of the great Goliaths of the industry. And of course, the genius of Virgil Abloh, whom so many people love, respect and miss,” Wachter said.

“Bringing these three worlds together is really an amazing thing, which I think is sparking global interest.”

Abloh, one of the most prominent black designers, had been the creative mind behind Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection since 2018. In July 2021, LVMH (LVMH.PA) commissioned him to launch new brands and partner with existing ones in sectors other than fashion such as furniture and luggage.

Reporting by Alicia Powell; Editing by Richard Chang

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