Earlier this year, the Musée du Louvre was prevented from displaying Leonardo da Vinci’s infamous Vitruvian Man drawing by Italia Nostra, a cultural preservation organisation. Luckily for anyone looking to visit the Louvre from now until February, the court has ruled the drawing will travel from Italy to Paris for a special showing as part of the museum’s honorary exhibition.
To honour this once in a lifetime show, which marks 500 years since da Vinci’s death, Virgil Abloh has partnered with the Louvre to create a limited edition Off-White capsule collection inspired by the artist. Using two of da Vinci’s most notable paintings, The Virgin of the Rocks and Saint Anne, Abloh has woven these classic art pieces with Off-White logos and symbols to blend streetwear with renaissance art.
Speaking about the collection, Abloh said: “I want to crash together these two worlds that are seemingly different: fashion and high art. It’s a crucial part of my overall body of work to prove that any place, no matter how exclusive it seems, is accessible to everyone. I think that Leonardo da Vinci was maybe the first artist to live by that principle, and I am trying to as well.”
This isn’t the first time the streetwear pioneer has blended da Vinci’s work within his own. Abloh previously used an image of the Mona Lisa in Off-White’s SS18 collection, as well as in his recent collaboration with IKEA — included within the offering was a phone charger bearing the iconic work of art.
The collection is now available in the Louvre gift shop and on Off-White’s website.