According to the latest rumour, Kanye West will succeed Virgil Abloh as creative director of Louis Vuitton Men. The rumor surfaced in well-known tabloids as well as other media outlets such as Hypebeast and Highsnobiety. The rumors surface 11 days after the late designer’s death was announced. Prior to Abloh’s appointment at Louis Vuitton, the two had worked together for many years. In 2009, the two worked as interns at the Italian luxury brand Fendi, which marked the beginning of their decades-long friendship.

“Kanye is devastated about Virgil’s death because they had been friends for years and worked together a lot,” Hypebeast reported. They shared a similar vision, and Kanye believes he owes it to Virgil to continue working at Louis Vuitton.”

Image: LVMH

Given West’s history with Virgil Abloh, it’s not surprising that the rapper feels this way. Aside from their friendship, Abloh oversaw his own designs and artistic vision with the 2013 launch of his own brand, Off-White. Abloh was appointed as the first Black American creative director at a French luxury fashion house, Louis Vuitton, in 2018.

The original anonymous “source” who sparked this story isn’t said to work for Louis Vuitton, its parent company LVMH, or even Kanye West. Furthermore, the rapper has not responded to The Daily Mail’s request for comment. Aside from the disrespectful timing, this should all be taken with a grain of salt, at the very least, until something with substance emerges.

Image: LVMH

Michael Burke, chairman of Louis Vuitton, recently stated that the remaining design team is capable of planning the luxury house’s Summer 2022 runway show without the need for a replacement.

“[The staff] don’t have to worry about June,” Burke said, implying that the search for Virgil’s replacement will be a slow, deliberate process.

After a private battle with cancer, Virgil Abloh, artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, died a week ago. Last Tuesday, November 30, the designer was supposed to present his spin-off Spring Summer 2022 collection at the Miami Art Basel. However, the show went on, and the runway presentation became a tribute to Abloh’s creativity.