Tracking Louis Vuitton’s Steps Into the Sneakersphere
When it comes to streetwear-centric luxury link-ups, few fashion houses are as well-versed in the scene as . Born as a luxurious luggage label, the Parisian-based behemoth has dipped more than just their toes into the sneakers and streetwear industry over the past 20-something years – most recently by appointing frequent collaborator as Creative Director and poaching luxury sneaker maverick from Kim Jones’s . As excitement builds to see what Thibo and Pharrell cook up together, we retraced the steps Louis Vuitton took to cement themselves within the sneakersphere.
Pop Culture Don: Marc Jacobs (1997–2013)
Vuitton were making bags and trunks for around 143 years before they even thought about making clothes. That all changed in 1997 when the label announced the appointment of their first creative director, Marc Jacobs, who went on to launch womenswear that same year and menswear in 2004.
As Jacobs settled into his role, he was explicitly told not to f*ck with the LV logo. He didn't abide by that rule for long. With a background that was heavily inspired by 80s aesthetics, art and street culture, Jacobs gave the creative reins to a number of prolific art world collaborators who reimagined LV’s luxury leather goods with graffiti-inspired logos and motifs, doing away with the restrictions of house codes and translating Louis Vuitton’s image into something that resonated with the streets. Among those collaborations came the ‘Anti-Snob Snobbery’ collection with Stephen Sprouse in 2001 and a multi-year partnership with , which kicked off in 2003.
Before long, Jacobs began looking to other mediums for inspiration. In 2007, he gave Pharrell Williams his first Louis Vuitton colab, entrusting him and Nigo to design the iconic . In a move that long preceded Demna Gvasalia, Jacobs was depicted as a designer in a The Simpsons illustration that featured in Harper’s Bazaar and was later displayed at the legendary Paris-based boutique Colette. These imaginative, out-of-the-box associations made Jacobs one of the first creative directors to really push a luxury label into the wider cultural space.
After cementing the brand within pop culture, Jacobs then reached out to in 2009, and the duo worked on the , Jasper and Hudson – three sci-fi-inspired original styles that supercharged Ye’s status within the sneaker industry. In an interview with , Ye called the collaboration ‘a dream come true’ and cited Jacobs as one of the most innovative designers going. The link-up set the tone for the huge milestones that were yet to come.
Reigning Supreme: Kim Jones (2011–2018)
Though he remained creative director for LV’s womenswear line for a little longer, Jacobs handed over the keys to the menswear castle to Paul Helbers in the mid-2000s. Helbers stayed for five years, but it was LV’s next appointment that really saw them enter the streetwear space. Fresh off the back of creating his own label, a tenure at Dunhill and his collaborative stint with sportswear brand , took on Louis Vuitton’s Men’s role in 2011. He worked alongside Jacobs for some time, which no doubt influenced a few of his moves; however, Jones himself had a track record of being able to elevate streetwear – something he continued to experiment with at the French fashion house.
Jones’s early work with LV saw him work alongside Kiro Hirata from Japanese streetwear brand Kapital. A few years later, Jones also led Vuitton to collaborate with Hiroshi Fujiwara’s . But one of his most prolific streetwear-centric collaborations arrived in 2017, when it was announced that Louis Vuitton would be joining forces with streetwear giant . This came as a shock to some, as the ballsy skate brand were hit with a cease and desist by the luxury label in the year 2000 after Supreme produced decks emblazoned with the LV monogram. The saw the duo drop monogrammed luggage, decks, hoodies and bogo tees, as well as a co-branded sneaker. At the time there was some debate as to whether LV’s decision to collaborate with Supreme was a sneaky move to capitalise on the burgeoning streetwear aesthetic, but given the house’s past ties and collaborators, it actually made more sense than some might think.
Stepping It Up: Virgil Abloh (2018–2021)
Kim Jones left Louis Vuitton in 2018, and as the brand looked for their successor, it quickly became clear that there was no better fit than . The founder was dominating the streetwear scene, had a long-time friendship and working relationship with figures like Kanye West, and had rocked the sneakersphere with the launch of his colab, ‘’.
As well as ‘The Ten’, Abloh had also released sneakers under the guise of Off-White, and updating was high on his agenda. Over his tenure, Virgil elevated the house’s in-line sneaker styles, introducing models like the high-top, hoops-inspired 408 sneaker, the quintessentially noughties skate-style Zig Zag, and the ultra-wearable LV Trainer to the brand’s roster. But that wasn’t all he had up his sleeve. Virgil also called on his Nike connection to drop multiple that sent the sneakersphere into a frenzy. The initial drop, auctioned at Sotheby’s sold for a total of $25.3 million, with proceeds going towards Virgil’s Black Scholarship fund. This was followed by a wider drop with multiple colourways that eventually made their way to Louis Vuitton’s web store and into the hands of a few lucky, cash-rich customers.
Alongside upping LV’s presence within the sneaker game, Abloh also continued to foster the label’s attitude to collaboration. Abloh reconnected the house with Nigo on a denim-focused capsule collection and even took Vuitton into the sports sphere with an NBA colab. With a legacy that permeated all of the corners of the culture, Virgil Abloh managed to cement Louis Vuitton’s sneaker and streetwear ties even further.
For the Culture: Pharrell Williams (2023–Present)
After Virgil sadly passed away in 2021, Louis Vuitton didn’t rush to replace him. When they eventually did start to look for a successor, a few frequent sneaker scene collaborators were named as front runners. and were both named top candidates for the job.
Eventually, Vuitton circled back to Pharrell Williams, but the decision was somewhat unexpected. Pharrell still had more experience and relevance as a rapper and producer, even after his work with Billionaire Boys Club, G-Star and adidas. But as before, Louis Vuitton’s trajectory hadn’t necessarily come down to the making of their clothes, but rather their understanding and willingness to embrace a full-scale cultural movement.
Skateboard P kick-flipped Louis Vuitton into their fresh phase with his on Pont Neuf, which featured bear paw slippers and a whole ton of digi camo, dubbed ‘Damoflauge’. A few months later, he upped his footwear game with Vuitton’s first 3D-printed shoe, the – a chunky, experimental style that looked towards the label’s future, made in collaboration with . For AW25, Pharrell ventured out into the Wild West with , but that wasn’t before he revisited a previous BBC collaborator, with a that eventually touched down in August. But Pharrell got really stuck into sneaker trends with his most recent collection, . He’d already put his spin on the with adidas, but he presented his own take on football and terrace culture in the form of an ultra-luxe football boot-style sneaker, complete with LV logo-shaped ‘studs’ and a foldover tongue.
While Pharrell is no stranger to sneakers himself, he seems to have big plans for Louis Vuitton’s footwear. It was recently announced that the brain behind the Dior x Air Jordan 1, designer Thibo Denis, would be leaving his position at Dior to join the French fashion house. With a wealth of experience, contacts and creativity between these two dynamic designers, expect Louis Vuitton to keep infiltrating the sneaker scene for seasons to come.