The designer initially trained as an engineer, and it was that left-of-centre approach that informed his unique take on fashion. Born in Illinois, he eventually landed an internship at Fendi in Rome, where Kanye West happened to be doing the coffee runs too. Abloh went on to found the fashion label Off-White, which garnered cult status thanks to its heavily-branded streetwear; sports-inspired hoodies and sell-out trainers.

His debut at Louis Vuitton, in summer 2018, was one of those moments – thanks to its astonishingly long catwalk, star power on the front row and sheer scale – where you can say ‘I Was There When..’  The house, perhaps the most august of all the grande dames in Paris, had always been rarefied and luxurious, but Abloh’s interpretation brought an edge and abundant sense of playfulness.

He wanted to create his own language in the world of men’s style, quite literally – his Louis Vuitton collections came with a glossary of terms for garments and accessories he’d created. Abloh’s approach to fashion played with traditional codes; a suit, but soft and pillowy in its shape and proportions, a classic camel coat, but with cut-out details, the classic Vuitton check, with rendered in acid brights. He brought energy, pulsing dynamism and, just occasionally, a dash of bonkers eclecticism to the house.