Who Is Thibo Denis? Get to Know Louis Vuitton’s next Footwear Designer
Born in Paris in the 1990s, footwear savant Thibo Denis consumed design and fashion from a young age. Exposed to sneakers via his obsession with hip hop and American culture, Thibo made a habit of mining Tumblr for inspiration and sharing ideas – a deeply personal process that he has thankfully carried forward with his Instagram page. Today, his handle is a goldmine of behind-the-scenes design work and five-star ‘fit pics. One of those frustratingly gifted kids (Thibo never went to fashion school), he has become a key player in precipitous rise in the streetwear sweepstakes. Throughout his half dozen years at the fashion house, he’s worked on everything from the bankable to the Internet-melting Dior x With the footwear wunderkind officially confirming his move to Louis Vuitton this week, we thought it was time to shine a spotlight on the ultra-fly Frenchman.
A Mood Board Unto Himself
Widely known by fans by his Instagram handle, feed is unexpectedly gauzy for someone working in historically-clandestine fashion houses. Traditionally, designers have kept their portfolio close to their chests, but Thibo is a mood board unto himself. His feed sails between fashion’s avant-garde fringes and streetwear’s classic cuts. Among the luxurious materials and footwear on display, you’ll also see the kind of chunky laces and stout silhouettes reminiscent of skateboarding’s nascent years in the 90s. Skateboarding footwear is still a major source of inspiration for Thibo, not surprising given he grew up in the big pants, tiny wheels era (for the record, the is still one of Thibo’s favourite models, with other choices including the and ). Among ultra flabby laces and slick ‘fit pics, you’ll also see a bounty of high-end materials, bougie Birkenstocks, and plenty more. Thibo’s feed is an auto-sub for any self-respecting sneakerhead.
Dior x Air Jordan 1: Unobtainium
A career watermark for the precocious designer, Thibo played a key role in bringing the Dior x Air Jordan 1 to life. Exuding French opulence with high-grade leather and hand-painted edges, the collaboration was affixed with a $2,200 price tag, making it one of the most expensive Air Jordans to ever hit retail. On the secondary market, prices surged to eye-watering levels. The model sold for anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000. In some cases, sellers were even asking for $30,000. A ludicrous yardstick for just how luxe the sneaker industry had become, the Dior x AJ1 was nevertheless a thing of beauty. Only 8,500 pairs of the Dior x Air Jordan 1 High were produced. The low-top edition was even more exclusive, with an additional 4,700 pairs released. Now, if you’re wondering what the mathematical odds of landing a pair were, let us provide you with a little more statistical insight. Of those 8,500 low-top pairs, over 5 million people worldwide entered the online raffle, making the odds of winning less than 0.17 per cent.
He Also Worked on the Popular B23
Thibo also worked with Dior’s popular B23 with British menswear juggernaut Striking a balance between high fashion craftsmanship and streetwear aesthetics, the B23 launched as part of Dior Men in 2019, one year before Thibo arrived at Dior. The B23 became a key product for the fashion house – especially for collaborations. The -esque model was remixed by the likes of NYC art giant and Japan’s preeminent robo-erotocist, Hajime Sorayama. Even Daniel Arsham tapped the Dior with his signature erosion aesthetic. The B23 allowed Dior to further permeate the sneaker industry through key collaborations and streetwear-centric runways, becoming one of Jones’s and Thibo’s most important footwear projects. Under Thibo Denis and Kim Jones, Dior’s influence among the younger generation skyrockets.
Joining Louis Vuitton
This month, Thibo officially announced that he will be joining Louis Vuitton. He’ll be working alongside multi-hyphenate and footwear guru Mathias Patillon (known on IG as @office2143). Together, they’ll have one of the most elite design teams in the industry, so expect some huge product announcements over the coming months.