Til Death Do Us Art
Story by Payton Antonacci // she/they // @paypayswaggie
Graphic by Avery Fox // she/her // @averyfoxvisuals
In the midst of models and dancers swimming through the pale blue, dream-like catwalk at the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2022 Fashion Show, I wondered if it could really be that I was watching an honest show of posthumous art. As someone who is more familiar with the shadow around posthumous records, it was baffling to see such a meticulous celebration of Virgil Abloh’s art and life as opposed to what I have become accustomed to; shameless cash grab after cash grab.
The runway showcased the last line Abloh designed for Louis Vuitton before his passing in November of last year. The rest of the show came to fruition thanks to a team of artists all headed by Ib Kamara, a highly-acclaimed stylist who had been collaborating with Abloh for Louis Vuitton for over a year and a half before this show took place. A key focus of this show was Abloh’s Boyhood Ideology, which was central to his work throughout his career with Louis Vuitton. The whimsy, the home-iness, the way the streetwear would take on unconventional shapes and forms all paid tribute to the child-like mindset Abloh described taking on in his designing process. Discussing his mentality over the execution of designing the show, Kamara tells CNN, “We wanted to keep it where we thought Virgil was with us, but push it to where Virgil would've taken it.” In watching the show, there is force behind that sentiment that is transparent throughout its entirety.
The attention to detail is what sets this fashion show apart for me; how you can feel Abloh in every individual element from the music composition by Tyler, the Creator, to the architectural design of the catwalk to the choreography the dancers were performing on the runway. Even though Abloh himself is no longer here on this Earth, his colleagues made sure his presence was felt in that last display of his work with them.
After watching this show and reflecting on it, I couldn’t help but think about the direction of posthumous art. And before I get into posthumous music, it’s important to note right out the gates that posthumous fashion shows and posthumous albums have largely different airs about them as a posthumous fashion show is typically put on by regular collaborators and/or loved ones of the deceased artist. On the other hand, posthumous records are put out by record labels who usually do not have any personal interest in or relationship with the artist besides wanting to capitalize off of the attention around their name after their death. Because of this, posthumous records will often include demos, drafts, or collaborations that the deceased artist may not have otherwise approved of in life. These final records may then go on to tarnish the artist’s legacy instead of bolstering it, all in the name of capital growth.
This trend, however, may have begun to take a different turn. Mac Miller’s Circles, DMX’s Exodus and MF Doom on his collaborative album with Czarface, Super What? are all instances of posthumous albums that were released since 2020 that were not only well received, but also made with the deceased artist’s vision at the forefront of the endeavor. That being said, the question of ethics is still up in the air as many people feel disconcerted with the idea of releasing a person’s work after their passing and collecting their check instead of just letting that person rest in peace. This is not to say that posthumous releases which do not respect the family or deceased artists’ wishes are on the decline. But with this series of post-mortem albums that honor the artist’s life work, it’s hard not to recognize this pattern and wonder if it will persist.
As loss has become a part of many of our experiences in the past two years or so, I hope at the very least to see music and art corporations wander outside the whims of their innermost capitalistic impulses and start to simply let one last release, made carefully and lovingly by the deceased artist’s loved ones and most trusted collaborators. Though this is most likely just my wishful thinking, watching Virgil Abloh’s final collection at Paris Fashion Week made me hope a trend could actually emerge. I could tell it was a celebration of his life and a last goodbye for those who worked with him, knew him and loved him. Abloh’s cultural influence and outstanding talent will stand with this show and safe to say, so long as I am alive, the memory will never die.