Off-White and the Musée du Louvre Have Collaborated on a Leonardo da Vinci Capsule Line

by Sarah Mariotti

500 years after Leonardo da Vinci’s death, his art is getting the high fashion treatment. Luxury brand Off-White and Paris’ Musée du Louvre have partnered to make an exclusive capsule collection in celebration of the museum’s Leonardo da Vinci exhibit.

Through an array of hoodies and T-shirts, Off-White’s founder Virgil Abloh has merged his brand’s classic motifs and logos with the late artist’s work, specifically “Virgin and Child With Saint John the Baptist and an Angel” and “The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne.” Choosing two paintings that are less recognizable than more iconic works like “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper,” Abloh aims to nudge people to learn about art history through their own research, and to “open this world up to them.”

“I want to crash together these two worlds that are seemingly different: fashion and high art,” Abloh said in a conversation with Vogue. Working a street-style approach into a Renaissance art-inspired high fashion collection also makes the art less intimidating. “Since the beginning it’s been essential to my work to prove that any place is accessible to everyone, no matter how exclusive a place is or might seem,” he added.

Photographs capturing the first looks of the Musée du Louvre x Off-White collection display a modern twist on Da Vinci and his era, with jarring angles, fish-eye camera effects and moody models that look like 15th century paintings brought to life. Abloh is no stranger to putting a contemporary spin on Renaissance Era art; just a couple of months ago he incorporated Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” into his Off-White x IKEA collection.

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. ?? Le musée du Louvre et @off____white c/o @virgilabloh dévoilent leur collaboration spéciale ! Glissez vers la gauche pour la découvrir ? – ‪A l’occasion de l’exposition Léonard de Vinci, la marque de prêt-à-porter Off-White lance une collection capsule célébrant la vie et l’œuvre de cet artiste visionnaire. – ? Les photos mettant en scène la collection ont été prises dans la Grande Galerie du Louvre, une façon de capter l’immensité de l’histoire que célèbre le musée tout en reliant cette collection moderne à sa source d’inspiration, puisque le Louvre abrite la plus grande collection de tableaux de Léonard au monde ainsi que 22 dessins de la main du maître. – ️ Disponible dès à présent à chez @boutiquesdemusees Louvre ou en ligne sur off—white.com – – – ? The musée du Louvre and @off____white c/o @virgilabloh reveal a special collaboration! Swipe left to unveil it! ? – In commemoration of the “Leonardo da Vinci” exhibition, the ready-to-wear brand releases a capsule of clothing items celebrating the life and works of the visionary artist. – ? The capsule imagery was shot inside the Grande Galerie of the Louvre, capturing the immense history celebrated within France’s national museum, while truly connecting this modern collection with its core inspiration, as the Louvre holds the largest collection in the world of da Vinci’s paintings, alongside 22 drawings. – ️ Now available at the Louvre @boutiquesdemusees and online on off—white.com – ? © RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) / René Gabriel Ojéda Campaign photography @thibautgrevet . . . #FashionFriday #LaModeAuLouvre #ExpoLéonard #Louvre #MuséeDuLouvre

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This Da Vinci drop is Abloh’s first move since his temporary leave from the fashion scene, and collaborating with a renowned Paris museum is most definitely a strong return. The collection is now available through the Off-White website, Off-White’s Paris and Milan store locations, the Louvre’s online store and gift shop, online at Farfetch as well as in-store at Browns.

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