This is called a success. The auction of 200 pairs of Louis Vuitton-Nike sneakers designed by the deceased American designer Virgil Abloh has totaled more than $25 million, Sotheby’s announced on Wednesday. The most expensive pair, a size 5 (36 in Europe), was sold for $ 352,800. This figure greatly exceeds the initial estimates of the auction house, which was betting on a range of 5,000 to 15,000 dollars per pair, and had started each auction at 2,000 dollars.
The 200 identical pairs of “Air Force 1” – a model that celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2022 -, in brown, white and cream colors and featuring the famous checkered patterns of Louis Vuitton, owned by LVMH (owner of the Parisian), and Nike comma, were sold online since January 26. The end of the sale was scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed by one day in the face of the influx of auctions.
Collectibles
The sneakers were presented in June 2021, for the spring summer 2022 collection of Louis Vuitton, of which Virgil Abloh, king of luxury streetwear, was the artistic director “men”. The stylist, DJ, hip-hop fan and former adviser to rapper Kanye West, died at the end of November at the age of 41 from cancer. His latest collection for Vuitton was presented in Paris on January 20, during the men’s ready-to-wear week. Each batch also included an orange Pilot bag.
For years, sneakers have become collector’s items that can sometimes be snapped up for tens of thousands of dollars. To give themselves a boost and broaden their clientele, the big names in luxury have made a habit of creating collections in partnership with sports or streetwear brands.
Sotheby’s, Louis Vuitton and Nike had indicated that Virgil Abloh had participated in the organization of the sale before his death, the profits of which will be donated to the “Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholarship Fund”, a scholarship supporting the training of students of African-American and African descent.