Pioneer, genius, legend, and more. The world has suffered the loss of the extraordinary talent that is Virgil Abloh, who has died aged from a rare form of cancer at 41. Born 30th September 1980 to Ghanaian immigrant parents in the U.S, Virgil used fashion as a tool to change predetermined perceptions of dress codes. Such was his influence on the fashion world, that Virgil was often referred to as a Renaissance man within the industry. However, he was not only a fashion designer but also an entrepreneur, DJ, artist and architect (having earned a Master’s Degree in Architecture) — a true polymath in every sense of the word.
However, Virgil more humbly referred to himself as “a maker”. Despite never having had any formal training in fashion, he launched his first-ever fashion collection in 2012 with “Pyrex Vision”, a brand that was heavily influenced by youth culture. The clothing consisted of screen-printed dead-stock Ralph Lauren pieces. After a year, Pyrex Vision was shut down as it was only intended to be an “artistic experiment”.
He subsequently founded Off-White in 2013, a luxury brand that catapulted streetwear into the world of high fashion. Two years later, Off-White was nominated for the LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) Prize for young fashion designers, and in 2018 Virgil was named the artistic director of the ready-to-wear menswear line at Louis Vuitton. This marked not only a significant cultural shift within the fashion industry as high fashion finally recognised the potential of streetwear but also a phenomenal racial breakthrough. Alongside Olivier Rousteing at Balmain, Virgil became only one of two black designers in the leading design role at a Parisian house (and the first-ever at Louis Vuitton).
Virgil’s greatest product of all perhaps was the extensive range of opportunities he created for other people; people who had consistently been denied access to these opportunities. With Virgil himself having been a scrappy outsider to the fashion industry for so long (for instance, he wasn’t even allowed into the Louis Vuitton show in 2009) it is only fitting. In an interview earlier this year, Virgil stated:
“[I’m] focused on asking what and who can I shine a light on. You know it’s not just about making art or fashion for its own sake: there are kids in Accra who can become attached and engaged in the skateboarding community if someone builds a bridge. And there are kids in the South Side of Chicago that need education and health: how does what I’m doing tie into that? What’s the bridge for that? That’s sort of the ethos of my career.”
Below are some examples of the opportunities he was generously able to provide for others:
- 2016: Virgil offered tickets to his fashion show to his social media followers i.e. to “kids that typically don’t receive invites”
- 2017: Virgil created a kit for Melting Passes, a team of recently immigrated soccer players in Paris whose lack of residency status meant they were excluded from playing in official competition, and later included them in the audience at an Off-White show.
- 2018: Virgil invited 3,000 students to his debut Louis Vuitton show in Paris.
- He worked to support skateboarders and surfers in Ghana and provided funds to fix park and play facilities in Chicago (where he grew up).
- 2020: he launched his Post-Modern Scholarship Fund, in which he raised a million dollars to offer assistance in the education of black students.
- 2021: Virgil paid homage to his Ghanaian roots, as he sent models down the runway draped in Kente fabric (a woven, handmade, vibrantly colourful cloth that originates from Ghana).
Tributes from everybody reflect the positive influence that Virgil was able to have in his short time here. A quick search of his name on Twitter will reveal the countless tributes that continue to pour in for the late designer. However, the tributes below perhaps hit home the most, as they beautifully highlight the opportunities that Virgil worked so hard to create for young, black, creative individuals. Ryan Hawaii, a mentee of Virgil’s from south London that has his own clothing brand shared on Instagram:
“I am honoured to have called you a mentor and a friend. You always had time for my crazy ideas & random WhatsApp messages. You told your friends about me, one was Kanye. He ended up buying clothes [from] me. You had a way of bringing people together and lifting them up. You had me front row and your LV show in Paris. You invited me to work with your brand countless times… You believed in me. You made the world a better place and made me and all the other creative young black people all over the world because you made us believe it was possible because it is.”
Bloody Osiris, a New York-based stylist, model and art director tweeted:
“Rest In Power Virgil, You Really Changed My Life 1st Time Out The Country Was With You. Thanks For Everything.”
Fortunately for us, Virgil recognised that he had a platform to change the industry following his appointment at Louis Vuitton and he went above and beyond to do so. He will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most popular and influential creatives of this era. As Samuel Ross (another mentee of Virgil’s from London) notes, Virgil’s legacy will live on through his actions, spirit & optimism.
He is survived by his wife Shannon, and children Lowe, 8, and Grey, 5 as well as his parents Nee and Eunice and sister Edwina. Rest In Power, King Virgil.
