“Everything I do, I do for the 17-year-old version of myself,” said Vigil Abloh, who deeply believed in the power of art to inspire future generations. The revolutionary designer, considered the king of luxury streetwear, LVMH ‘s celebrity designer and the most prominent black figure in the world of luxury fashion, died last Sunday at the age of 41 after battling “rare and aggressive” cancer for two years.
The news of his death was reported by the LVMH group, which owns Louis Vuitton, in an Instagram post. Fashion brand owner Off White also suffered from cardiac angiosarcoma diagnosed in 2019: “We are devastated to announce the death of our dear Virgil Abloh, father, husband, son, brother and devoted friend,” he writes. in a post that was also posted to the account of the designer, who had two children, Gray and Lowe Abloh, from Shannon Abloh, with whom he has been in a relationship since 2009.
“Since his diagnosis in 2019, he has chosen to support his battle in private, going through many complex procedures, while heading several important institutions dealing with fashion, art and culture,” reads the same text. “While he went through it all, his work ethic, endless curiosity and optimism did not shake. Virgil was guided by his dedication and his mission to open doors to others and create paths to greater equality in art and design. “
Bernard Arnault, President of the LVMH Group, was also one of the first to publicly express his regret: “We are shocked by this news. Virgil was not only a genius and seer, but also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sadness, ”he wrote on his Instagram account.
From architecture to fashion The first great black creator committed to “promoting African American cultures” was the son of immigrants from Ghana, raised in Chicago, USA, and before he reached fashion, earned a degree in civil engineering and architecture.
After his studies, he was an intern at Fendi, an Italian fashion house founded in 1925, on the same team as rapper Kanye West, a friend who catapulted him to fame. At the company’s Rome office, they both began a collaboration. A year later, Kanye named Virgil the creative director of his ad agency DONDA, and two years later asked him to be the artistic director of Watch the Throne, the duo’s collaborative album with Jay-Z.
In 2012, Abloh managed to create his first company, Pyrex Vision, a small couture boutique in streetwear style. His secret was this: buy some vintage Ralph Lauren pieces that are not on the market for forty dollars and bring drawings on them, selling them at prices in excess of $ 550. However, the deal did not last long – Abloh believed that it was more than a commercial company, as an artistic experience.
in one’s own name A year later, Virgil Abloh has already founded his first fashion house with the Off-White streetwear brand. The company, based in the fashion capital of Milan, has been described by Abloh by investors and fashion critics as “a gray area between black and white as an off-white color.”
Working with everyone from Nike to Ikea, Perrier and Mercedes-Benz, the designer has taken fashion to arenas where it has never been before, cross-pollinating other fields, though fashion purists don’t appreciate it.
In 2017, he was invited to collaborate with Nike on a new collection called “The Ten”, in which he recreated the company’s ten best-selling sneakers such as the Air Presto, Air Vapormax and Blazer, with their unique characteristics. style characteristics. At the same time, in partnership with the Swedish furniture company IKEA, a line of furniture and decor items for apartments and houses was launched. A collection called “Markerad” in “pure” or “fresh” Portuguese was launched in 2019. The artist told the Observer that year that as he walked through fashion week, people told him that what he was doing was “not fashionable.”
versatility But he soon proved otherwise: in 2018, Virgil made history by being named head of the brand’s menswear design department, the first black designer to play that role at French house and conglomerate LVMH.
In part, the brand has expanded it to help the company maintain access to a younger and more diverse consumer base. The designer stood out for having over 6 million Instagram followers, where his posts reflected his daily inspirations as well as his latest creations, collaborations and travels.
Upon accepting this position, he admitted: “It is a great honor for me to accept this position. I think that the heritage of the home and its creative integrity are the main sources of inspiration, and we will strive to refer to them, drawing parallels with modernity. ” And because of this, his influence went beyond fashion. He not only designed the cover art for Kanye West’s album, but also collaborated with artists such as rapper Drake, Pop Smoke, Westside Gunn, Octavian and Lil Uzi Vert. West often referred to his colleague and friend as “a true architect.” “I have all these ideas, and Virgil can bring them to life, because he is a real architect,” he said.
Abloh showed his first collection for Louis Vuitton in 2018 at Men’s Fashion Week at the Palais Royal in Paris. Singer Rihanna was the first to wear one of her creations before the show. At his invitation, rappers such as Playboi Carti, Steve Lacy, A $ AP Nast, Dev Hynes and Kid Cudi have paraded for Louis Vuitton. After all, when Virgil and Kanye West cried while hugging.
In sports, Abloh’s designs were most visible in the NBA thanks to Louis Vuitton’s league campaign and Off White and Nike collaborations, used by stars such as Russell Westbrook, Draymond Green and Jordan Clarkson. Abloh also worked with Nike on the boot design for Paris St-Germain star Kylian Mbappé.
In 2011, his work on the cover design for Kanye West and Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Visual Performance. The artist received the Urban Luxe award from the British Fashion Council in 2017 and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine the following year – one of only two designers nominated this year.
Reasons for success “His broad approach to design has inspired comparisons to artists such as Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons. For him, “clothes were a symbol of identity,” wrote Vanessa Friedman, fashion director and chief fashion critic for The New York Times. “Abloh changed not only what consumers wanted to wear, bridging the gap between streetwear and the world of luxury, but also what brands wanted from a designer,” he added.
In a statement, Ralph Toledano, president of the French Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion, praised Abloh for “his willingness to break down barriers.” In return, Gucci stated that Abloh was “an inspiration to all of us.” British Vogue editor Edward Enninful went even further, calling him a “giant among men”: “Virgil Abloh changed the fashion industry. It is known that he was prolific, he always worked for a cause greater than his illustrious career: to open the door to art and fashion for future generations, so that they, unlike him, grow up in a creative world with the people they reflect. ” …
A tribute to the designer will take place on Tuesday in Miami as part of a fashion show scheduled by Louis Vuitton.