Remembering Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh grew up in the town of Rockford, Illinois, as the son of Ghanaian immigrant parents. He found an interest in DJing on the weekends, but his parents insisted he pursue a college education, as well. Abloh attended the University of Wisconsin to study civil engineering as an undergraduate, and later found himself at the Illinois Institute of Technology studying architecture for graduate school. His knowledge of architectural principles followed him to other industries involving alternative forms of art.
“I wanted to build skyscrapers because I figured if you could build the tallest building, you could design a spoon, you know?”
In 2010, musical artist and visionary Kanye West appointed Abloh as the creative director of his design agency, Donda. West and Abloh collaborated on several different projects together, including designing the album cover for West’s 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
Virgil Abloh really jumpstarted his portfolio with fashion when he launched Pyrex Vision in New York in 2012. He utilized discounted oversized flannels and rugby shirts from deadstock Ralph Lauren collections and screenprinted “23” – Michael Jordan’s number – on the backs of them. He then sold them for more than $500 per piece, despite harsh critiques by some streetwear enthusiasts. Nonetheless, Abloh was putting his own spin on pieces by using his imagination to repurpose those garments to make his own version.
“This concept of a brand, the image, what the clothing looks like, that’s free. Go make your own version of it. It’s meant to inspire.”
Shortly after the emergence of Pyrex Vision, Off-White was born in 2013. The transition from the collection in New York to being a Milan-based luxury goods producer was rather rapid. Abloh and his creativity began to take a deep-dive into the fashion industry with a huge splash. He quickly began to become a household name under the category of top menswear fashion designers. Off-White made collaborations with brands like Nike, Chrome Hearts, Jimmy Choo and Ikea.
In 2018, Virgil Abloh made history by becoming the first Black artistic director at Louis Vuitton. This year, he was given increased authority over the direction of the LVMH menswear collection.
Unfortunately, on the other side of his life, he was secretly battling rare and aggressive cardiac cancer known as cardiac angiosarcoma. For two years, Abloh continued his work under this diagnosis, keeping the fight against his illness a private matter. On November 28, 2021, at the age of 41, Virgil Abloh passed away. He is survived by his wife, Shannon, their two children, Lowe and Grey, his parents, and his sister, Edwina.
