As the fashion industry struggles to come to terms with the premature death of Virgil Abloh, the Ghanaian-American designer who headed up menswear at Louis Vuitton, the rumours are already swirling about who might be in the running to take over the role.
Such speculations are normal at this point, usually with a number of names fluttering around. Interestingly, however, this time only one name is being mentioned: Ye, the artist formally known as Kanye West.
While nothing more than rumour so far, this is little more than conjecture with both Louis Vuitton and parent company LVMH staying silent on the matter. However, if Louis Vuitton does decide to name Ye as Abloh's successor, there are a few factors that work against the rapper.
The argument against Ye
Firstly, Ye has no high-level experience of running a fashion house, with both his attempts, Pastelle and Yeezy clothing, both quietly disappearing from sight, although his Yeezy sneaker brand still does roaring business for him and brand partner adidas.
Ye's much-discussed eccentricity is another question mark. With fashion such a result-driven industry, there is less space for undisciplined characters. Likewise, Ye is well known for his disregard for deadlines, as shown during the often-delayed releases of his albums – the latest example being that of his 10th album Donda. With a tight schedule to maintain, and a rigid timetable of collections to follow, there is no time for pause in fashion.
Why Ye could be the one
However, there are also many factors that could work in Ye's favour. While he is known as a rapper, he has extensive industry knowledge, having interned with the Italian house Fendi in 2009, and often surrounds himself with key fashion players. In 2010, Ye asked the designer Phillip Lim to create the wardrobe for his short film, Runaway, and this year, for the Donda listening parties, Ye was able to rope in none other than Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia.
Ye also had Abloh, the man he is now tipped to replace, as his creative director since 2008. The two were close friends and since Abloh's death, Ye has been quoted saying he feels duty-bound to continue his friend's work.
A major part of Ye's success is an uncanny ability to tune into the zeitgeist. He announced the launch of his Yeezy Nike trainers by wearing a pair of prototypes to his 2008 Grammy performance, sparking a frenzy from his designs that continue to this day. Yeezy, now with adidas, is today valued by Forbes at $1.8 billion, thanks largely to West's skill at creating hype around each new launch.
While much of Abloh's success at Louis Vuitton is down to the cult of celebrity, with customers eager to snap up anything by the designer, Ye has turned it into an art form. Credited with helping to transform his ex-wife Kim Kardashian's career from a reality TV star into a bona fide fashion heavyweight, in June 2020, Ye signed a billion-dollar deal with clothing brand Gap, called Yeezy Gap, for which he will rework the clothing offering, and that will net him royalties on sale.
To date, the collaboration has only released two items: a "round" jacket that sold out in seconds via pre-orders, and a hoodie. Yet, thanks largely to this deal, Ye's personal fortune is thought to be worth upwards of $2 billion, with Bloomberg staking it as high as $6.8b.
In contrast, Abloh's own label, Off-White, known for extremely expensive streetwear – think $1,000 hoodies, and a pair of trainers with the word "shoelaces" written on them for $700 - coupled with his income at Louis Vuitton, meant Abloh was worth about $20 million at the time of his death.
In 2018, Abloh was named by Time magazine as one of the top 100 influential people in the world. Ye, meanwhile, made the same list two years earlier.
Also, Ye and Louis Vuitton already have history. In 2008, long before Abloh took over the reins, Ye created the trainers for the menswear show.
So while Ye may seem like an outsider for the house, he has, in so many ways, already proved his commercial pull, and his ability to shift product at an unprecedented scale. He may have little first-hand design experience, but they may not be such a drawback. After all, every house has a full, talented design studio to assist the designer at every step.
What Ye has, and that Abloh had, is credibility – that shifting, undefinable ability to speak to a wide audience. As both Abloh and Ye have already proved, that audience is also prepared to spend heavily to buy into their vision. So while Ye may be chaotic, ungovernable and something of an outlier, perhaps he is precisely the man to continue the work of his friend.
Louis Vuitton took a big gamble by appointing Abloh, making him the first black man to head up a major fashion house. If the company is looking to continue that path, then perhaps Ye, with all his faults, is the man to do it.
'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Janeen%20Damian%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Lindsay%20Lohan%2C%20Chord%20Overstreet%2C%20Jack%20Wagner%2C%20Aliana%20Lohan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
SPECS
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Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
SPEC%20SHEET
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The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
Specs
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Scores
Scotland 54-17 Fiji
England 15-16 New Zealand
Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
Alma Books
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
