Rest in Power: Virgil Abloh's contribution to modern fashion
Virgil Abloh, founder of the Off-White brand and creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, died of cancer on 28 November at the age of 41. Anyone who knew a little about Virgil Abloh was shocked by the news of his death. Even those who didn't feel close to the aesthetics of his collections now acknowledge that the brilliant designer brought high fashion closer to people - and vice versa. Abloh created hype around the world by lining up for sneakers, blurred the lines between catwalk and streetwear, and made the people who got to know him happier.
From Virgil Abloh's personal Instagram profile, it was revealed that he was living with a rare form of cancer: angiosarcoma of the heart. This was announced on Sunday 28 November, jointly by LVMH and the brands led by the designer. The creative director of Louis Vuitton and founder of the Off-White brand had already been diagnosed in 2019. Abloh was struggling with a serious illness that was rapidly progressing, but decided to hide it from the public. The designer continued to work, create collections and travel with DJ sets around the world.
Musicians and stylists, fashion editors and designers, streetwear fans and in general almost everyone did not expect him to leave us so soon. It seems that, in part, Abloh was an incomprehensible artist because his work was always treated so radically differently. Some people were madly in love with everything he did, and others wondered how anyone could like his work - from clothes to music. Yet Virgil was a true master and managed to turn the fashion industry around.
Virgil Abloh did not have an elite design school or specialised education behind him. In 2002 he received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and in 2006 a master's degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Virgil & Kanye
By then, Abloh had already realised his dream and met Kanye West, with whom he took part in shows and entered the world of street style. Subsequently, West, who did not want to hand over the visual component of his work to a record label, entrusted it to a friend who convinced him that he was ready to work 24/7. So Abloh became the creative director of the Donda agency, where he worked on album design, shows and merchandising.
An artist
An artist, a connoisseur of art. Virgil Abloh did not consider himself a designer, and not everyone in the industry was prepared to call him a clothes designer. He proved that building a brand can be based on any creative background. Abloh has an architectural education from the Illinois Institute of Technology and an internship at Fendi and Kanye West, and has worked as creative and artistic director at the Donda label. His passion for music is also reflected in his creations as rhythms and notes are the same instruments he used to express his mood.
Off White: the beginning of the fashion revolution
"Off-White is something like a curriculum, the embodiment of my state of mind and my ideas for modern luxury brands. It's almost like a laboratory. The foundations of everything I do now were laid during my childhood. I was just a normal suburban kid, skating, listening to Nirvana, the Beastie Boys, rap. You can imagine what I was like then. "Imagining streetwear culture without the Off-White brand now is simply impossible.
When Virgil launched the brand in 2013, he already seemed to know that he was revolutionising and taking street fashion to the next level. Street couture: that's what you could call Abloh's creations. But it all started with the Pyrex Vision project, in which the artist transformed vintage garments from Ralph Lauren, Champion and other American brands into exclusive designs. Wielding a paintbrush and paints, Virgili painted vintage clothes and sold them at a much more expensive price.
The power of collaboration
The main secret Virgil Abloh has revealed to the world is where the power of collaboration lies. Yes, the master's name has always been next to the term 'HYPE' - and this is entirely justified. Abloh's joint publications with Nike, IKEA, Levi's, Rimowa, Mercedes-Benz and other companies have become a real asset to the creative industry. He has been able to arouse interest in the collections, create enthusiasm around things that are familiar and improved by the hand of Virgil.
He knew how to create originals from the simple, like Off-White X Jimmy Choo shoes, wrapped in opaque material so as not to give them up in bad weather. Or other avant-garde garments such as the Off-White Meteor leaky bag and the Louis Vuitton jumper with soft toys for $8,000. And the important thing is to sell everything: according to the LVMH report for the first half of 2021, the company's turnover reached 28.7 billion euros, and it was Louis Vuitton that became the most profitable brand.
Virgil & LVMN
In 2018, Abloh joined LVMH as Creative Director. He started developing not only for Louis Vuitton and Off-White, but also for other projects of the company. The designer became the first black man in this position, says Anna Lebsak-Kleimans, CEO of Fashion Consulting Group:
"This is a unique situation: the oldest French brand is putting a foreigner with roots in Ghana in charge of its communication and creativity strategies. A change similar to the one imprinted by the creator himself on the brand which has become a big giant with diversified articles.
But how will Louis Vuitton and Off-White develop after the departure of Mind? At the moment there is no precise answer.
A man of the people
In June 2020, Virgil announced that he would be holding a fundraiser for black students. The size of the Post Modern scholarship fund will be $1 million. Brands and companies from Farfetch, Louis Vuitton, Evian and New Guards Group have joined the designer in this initiative.
Abloh announced the start of a long-term partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund, but the designer went further and established his own. Most of the scholarships have been provided by Abloh's own donations. In addition, several of the designer's friends and colleagues, including American fashion designer Heron Preston, have also pledged to join the initiative.
"As a black designer, I was also looking for my own way in my youth. I had to make a name for myself. I need to create this fund especially for black students who, through it, will be able to find their place in the fashion industry and find people to identify with," Virgil Abloh commented.
In addition, Abloh made a $20,500 donation to the Black Lives Matter movement, making it clear that the issue is extremely important to him. Furthermore, Virgil Abloh launched charity events in support of black women. The designer invited all those who are not indifferent to make donations in exchange for the opportunity to design one of ten pairs of Converse trainers in a box with his autograph.
The funds raised have enabled Black Women Radicals activists to share their work with the community and be more successful in achieving social change. Some of it also went to the inauguration of Black Feminist Politics, an organisation dedicated to the political education of black feminists. It is impossible to count how much Virgili has given to society, how much she has helped minorities. Her background and creativity have inspired many around the world. She didn't just change fashion; she transformed lives.
And finally...
Virgil was a talented designer, stylist and musician who worked hard to create interesting things. Collaborations with Ikea, Nike, Jimmy Choo and Byredo and celebrity partnerships are examples of Abloh's outstanding performance. He was one of the first designers to sign a contract with the hugely popular group BTS, who presented the Louis Vuitton FW2021 menswear collection. The fact that a simple boy managed to realise his dream can inspire young people who loved the things the designer created as well as his story of success, personality and creativity.
