LVMH ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN OFF-WHITE

©Off-White

Louis Vuitton Möet Hennessy bought a 60% stake in Off-White, boosting LVMH deeper into the sportswear markets with ties to its unrivaled roster of brands. Abloh is one of the rare Black designers with a leading role at the top of the fashion pyramid as head of menswear for Louis Vuitton.

The fashion industry has a complicated relationship with race, even though fashion is regularly influenced by street style, minority communities and creative outsiders. These groups are rarely acknowledged or invited into the fold.  Louis Vuitton’s investment in Off-White may finally be an acknowledgment on the part of the luxury fashion industry to respond to contemporary culture in new ways. Abloh’s new tie up with Off-White and LVMH shall help craft larger conversations about representation while giving them a bigger stake in the luxury sportswear and streetwear markets. According to a recent study by Bain & Company, Abloh’s appointment to help Louis Vuitton’s menswear group is a reflection of the increasing consumer-driven intermingling of the luxury and streetwear sectors. 

This is a crossover sector is a key growth area for LVMH. Other LVMH brands have already high-profile sports tie-ins. For example, Dior released its own Air Jordan sneaker, Hennessy partners with the NBA, and TAG Heuer sponsors Porsche’s racing team and athletes including Naomi Osaka. Now that Abloh and Louis Vuitton are inextricably linked, the issue will be finding a harmonious balance between overexposure and exclusivity. This is something Louis Vuitton has arguably struggled with in the past.