Vogue, Karlie Kloss, and Shannon Abloh Hosted a Special Screening of V: A Short Film Dedicated to the Legacy of Virgil Abloh

An ode to the life and legacy of the late Virgil Abloh, the documentary simply titled V premiered last night at a special screening hosted by Vogue NYC’s Acme with an after-party to follow at The Nines. Cohosted by Karlie Kloss and Abloh’s wife, Shannon, the evening took place in the heart of NoHo. The evening offered an early look at the short film directed and produced by Chloe and Mahfuz Sultan for Virgil’s family and dearest fashion industry friends. “When I first heard about this film from these two beautiful people (Chloe and Mahfuz), I was so deeply honored and touched,” Shannon Abloh, told Vogue. “Virgil would’ve been so touched to have something like this done for him. He lived for and loved collaborating with his friends.”

Those that personally knew the prolific designer couldn’t help but notice the soiree’s attention to detail and thoughtful incorporation of all of Virgil—like his favorite flowers, music, and cocktails. A ceiling-tall, cotton white floral arrangement beckoned in guests, with blossoming white peonies lining the long bar of The Nines. At the bar, partygoers selected between two specialty cocktails: the “V” or “1980”, including Virgil’s favorite beverage of choice for special occasions, Don Julio 1942.

“He was an interpreter of visual language and architect of visual language. He was like a mass disseminator of information and beauty,” Gabriella Karefa-Johnson said. “He was a champion of diversity and an engineer of a fashion space that didn’t exist before him. He’s an innovator.”

Aside from his well-known creative and fashion trailblazing, a fundamental sentiment shared by any and all who encountered the designer was his effervescent kindness, tangible genuineness, and authentic altruism. Not to mention he was a “big emoji guy,” as playfully described by Bella Hadid. “Virgil and I always connected on our roots of growing up in the Midwest…What’s amazing is that so many people had that special connection, and one person’s connection didn’t take away from somebody else’s,” Karlie Kloss told Vogue. 

Guests included Gigi Hadid, Yumi Nu, Jeremy O. Harris, Victor Glemaud, Derek Blasberg, Heron Preston, Prabal Gurung, and promising students from Abloh’s Post-Modern Scholarship Fund, alongside many more of the designer’s closest friends. Also in attendance were his devoted Off-White and Louis Vuitton team members. 

After cocktails, attendees made their way downstairs to the rustic brick wall–lined Acme, where they were greeted by Shannon Abloh and Vogue’s creative editorial director Mark Guiducci. “Every Monday morning, (Vogue) has this meeting where everyone goes around the room and says what they’re working on and publishing that week. Without fail, every week, there is a story about something related to Virgil,” Mark Guiducci said. “He is a prolific, Prometheus-level creator and utterly unique. Vogue publishes almost 500 videos a year, but we have never, to my knowledge, done a screening for one. So this is unique for us, too, but it is worthy of him.”

With just two brief days to shoot the short film, the directors set out on a mission to make artwork in honor of their close friend’s legacy. “We knew we had to try to make something worthy of V because he’s a great artist. We had to try to give him that fashion moment in American Vogue, this institution that he revered so much because he’s one of the greatest fashion designers of his time,” Chloe told Vogue. The documentary concluded with a sea of applause and teary eyes. Upstairs at The Nines, the after-party kicked off with a special DJ set curated by Louis Vuitton menswear music director, Benji B. Guests were encouraged to have a bite of food, a drink, and maybe even dance, just as Abloh would’ve done. 

The sudden and unexpected loss of Abloh this past November had a resounding impact on the fashion industry. Yet, the magnitude of his innovative and taste-making presence can still be felt by the legions of those he inspired. “I think that V walked into every room, landed in every town, met every person with such positivity and wonder for where he was that day, that hour, that minute. That’s what I tried to carry forward for him, and that’s what I would hope that all of us, as his friends, can come together and do in honor of him: Keep remembering how valuable our time together is,” Gigi Hadid said.