Remembering Virgil Abloh
It is rare that a creative director in fashion make such a monumental impact in such a short amount of time, but Virgil Abloh bucked tradition, convention, and boundaries to carve a niche in the fashion world that will be felt for generations to come.
"I’m not made for a podium, but I’ll design a podium that ushers in systemic change.”
- Virgil Abloh
Born in 1980 in Rockford just outside of Chicago to Ghanaian immigrants, Virgil Abloh attended Boyland Catholic high school, and as a youth began to cultivate his love for fashion from his mother who taught him the ins and outs of the trade as a professional seamstress. Upon graduation, he begins his undergraduate career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, acquiring a degree in civil engineering.
According to Vogue, rumor has it, it is on his graduation day that Abloh meets Kanye West – the two strike up a friendship that will soon catapult him into the big leagues. By 2006, he has completed his master’s degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and it is here where his interest in fashion is ignited.
Internships in Rome
In 2009, both West and Abloh worked as interns in Rome for only $500 a month, soon creating a sensation at Paris Fashion Week. As their bond grows as co-workers and confidantes, Abloh is promoted to creative director at Donda, West’s creative agency and begins to show early signs of success as he works alongside and collaborates with some of the biggest names in the entertainment and art world, including: George Condo, Steve McQueen, Riccardo Tisci, Maison Martin Margiela, Jay-Z, Spike Jonze, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne.
Pyrex Vision is the first brand for Abloh, which begins in 2012 with an ostentatious start – purchasing Ralph Lauren flannel shirts, he screen prints PYREX and the number 23 across them in an homage to his childhood hero, Michael Jordan. Selling for $550 each, the capsule collection is viewed as an immediate success. By 2013, Pyrex transitions into his next label, Off-White, which is viewed as the marriage between streetwear and luxury apparel by intricately merging luxury, music, art, and travel.
Soon thereafter, other brands throw their hats into the trend and Abloh is credited as being a progressive force in fashion. By 2014, Off-White dives into the womenswear market for Paris Fashion Week, and the following year, Off-White is named a finalist for the coveted LVMH Prize.
By 2016, Off-White’s first concept store is launched in Tokyo, with the store making a splash in the Asian market and inching the designer closer to household name status. Under this brand, Abloh debuts Grey Area, his first foray into furniture, in Milan. Here, he shows his penchant for design outside of apparel, featuring iron grid chairs, Carrara marble tops, benches, and tables with leather cushions.
Abloh begins a whirlwind of events, in 2017, including a collaborations with Takashi Murakami for an exhibition at the Gagosian, with Warby Parker for a line of glasses, Jimmy Choo, Jacob the Jeweler, and The Ten, his partnership with athletic giant Nike. His limited release is an instant hit, with the rising star hosting panels and workshops along with release dates scattered throughout the year. Other notable achievements during the year include the release of a music track and winning the British Fashion Award for Urban Luxe Brand.
It is in 2018, however, that Virgil Abloh cements his status as ‘It’ boy with the coronation by Louis Vuitton as their artistic director of menswear. In other creative ventures this year, he performs at Lollapalooza. In 2019, his artwork is featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in an exhibition and his collaboration with Ikea is released through the brand’s international retail sites.
Holding Court/Courting Controversy
“Life is so short you can't waste even a day subscribing to what someone thinks you can do versus knowing what you can do.”
-Virgil Abloh
Rare is the legend that doesn’t experience peaks and valleys, and Abloh was no exception, courting controversy in 2018 with a social media post of his creative team that appeared to show no Black people working with him. With the fashion industry often criticized for its lack of diversity, it was a bad look for the designer, who had to endure scathing attacks by the press and colleagues over his decision.
If his lack of diversity was an issue, his stance on the #BlackLivesMatter movement was even momentous, with Abloh sharing a screenshot of a $50 donation to a Miami bail fund, mere shekels for someone whose streetwear label charges premium prices. The action shifted the public perception of the designer towards apathy and a backlash ensued. Later, Abloh minimized the damage by clarifying his donation and sharing his personal history regarding discrimination and racism:
"Let me start with a few central facts. I am a black man. A dark black man. Like dark-dark. On an average trip to the grocery store in Chicago I fear I will die. The risk of literal death is the normal walk of life for us. I almost live as if I'm walking on my tip-toes. Any interaction with the police could be fatal to me. A split second interaction I could have with them, Off-White sneakers mean nothing... or that i'm head designer of this... or I showed art work at such and such place doesn't apply in the heat of an exchange... I also know that this isn't just about race."
Heaven (Is A Place) On Earth
“Imagine if I really believed I was taking ‘fashion’ and turning it on its head. That to me is easy. You can be a disruptor but it doesn't mean you're any good. All I'm trying to do is create things that are indicative of my surroundings and the community that I come from, so that more people can do them.”
- Virgil Abloh
The responsibility of honoring tradition and creating a path towards singularity is daunting for any creative type, and with his Heaven On Earth collection, Virgil Abloh reinterpretated and recalibrated the label to universal praise by continuing to push the envelope.
His Fall/Winter 2020 collection left an enigmatic impression, featuring slimmer cuts that accentuated silhouettes, precision tailoring throughout, and billowing clouds used as a motif that sealed the deal for critics. Abloh’s nuanced, yet bold positioning of the brand showed a new vision that respected tradition and simultaneously left room for him to play up the suspense and sophistication seen previously in other ventures. For industry insiders as well as casual observers, the collection sealed the deal and anointed him as a master in the field.
A Lasting Legacy
"You know who I am most inspired by? That kid that hasn’t had the chance to showcase their brand yet. Those kids motivate the work I do every day. That’s the muse for me: the next generation. And I want my work to inspire people like them.”
– Virgil Abloh
There is no timetable on when or how someone can impact a movement or moment, and although Virgil Abloh passed away at the tender age of 41 after a private battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, it is impossible to deny his influence on the realms of fashion, pop culture, and entertainment. Perhaps he knew he had little time on this earth and this is why he pushed the envelope creatively at each and every turn. We will never know. What we do know is that what Abloh left behind was instantly iconic, undeniably progressive, and undoubtedly legendary – the mark of brilliance that will never be forgotten.