Virgil Abloh: “You can do it too”
1980-2021
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Virgil Abloh didn’t just change the rule book, he threw it out and rewrote the damn thing. In a world where we’re led to believe fitting in is better than standing out, where that creative spark we nurture as children fades, Abloh pushed us to dream, and to dream big. It’s hard to believe that one individual can come along and accomplish so much in such a short amount of time, but then again there was no one quite like Virgil Abloh.
He made it right to the very top and he reached down to bring so many others along for the ride. He set up systems that were centred on community, he gave his time and energy to younger generations showing them what's possible when you push for what you know you’re capable of, he gave outsiders a way in by giving them access to the very worlds that excluded so many for so long. The ferociousness of his work ethic was unmatched. The world Virgil created is one where fashion can coexist with art, where music and film collate in a way that makes you question everything you’ve ever known. This was Virgil Abloh’s world, and we were lucky to be living in it.
Last Sunday it was announced that 41 year-old designer, architect and DJ Virgil Abloh died after a private two-year battle with cancer. A true believer in the dreams of the youth and a man who changed our understanding of the luxury fashion landscape, he invented a new pathway to success in an industry that's notorious for shutting out people who look like him.
Virgil Abloh’s story is well known by now. The son of Ghanaian immigrants he first started working with Kanye West in 2009 when they were interns at Fendi, the Chicago-natives forming a close relationship that led Abloh to serve as creative director for West's albums My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Yeezus. He’s also the mastermind behind luxe streetwear label Off-White, founding the Milan-based brand in 2012 making hype the beast it is today. By 2018, he was appointed as Louis Vuitton’s men's artistic director where he made history - Abloh was the brand’s first Black artistic director since it was founded 167 years ago. He produced sought-after collaborations with everyone from Ikea to Nike, and artist Takashi Murakami. But what he may be remembered for most of all isn’t all of these countless accolades - as incredible as they are - but for his dedication to helping others and lighting the way for all who’d follow.
“He always worked for a greater cause than his own illustrious career: to open the door to art and fashion for future generations, so that they — unlike himself — would grow up in a creative world with people to mirror themselves in,” Edward Enninful, the Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, wrote in an Instagram post following the news.
A genre-defying designer and a true visionary, Virgil wasn’t for everyone. But he didn’t pretend to be. A Titan among an industry of gate-keeping fashion insiders, Virgil was for the creatives. The dreamers. The next generation. The outsiders, the insiders, the newbies trying to get their foot in the door. Everything Virgil did was to prove to the people at the top that those who they deem inferior - Black people, children of immigrants, people who come from lower-income backgrounds - are worth paying attention to, they’re worth investing in. By being transparent about his creative process and vision, through interviews and Instagram content he gave his fans and followers an instruction manual so they could see what he did was achievable.
In 2020 he set up the Virgil Abloh "Post-Modern" Scholarship Fund using his power and leverage in the fashion industry to help Black undergraduates pursue their fashion goals, working with the Fashion Scholarship Fund to identify 20 recipients from a variety of backgrounds. Last year he also launched the ‘I Support Black Women’ campaign along with Black feminist activists and scholars. In a world that often breeds competition and ego, Virgil always chose commitment to the many communities he was a part of.
"Virgil's life was a testament to how much Black Lives Matter by showing what Black lives are capable of," Dapper Dan wrote on Instagram. "His march took him to the top of luxury fashion. Virgil started out as a foot soldier but died a general."
Days after Virgil died, his final runway show for Louis Vuitton was held at Miami’s Marine Stadium. At his and his family's request, the show went on as scheduled with a renewed focus on celebrating his legacy and lasting impact. Titled “Virgil was here” show-goers were greeted with a three-story statue of the late designer, and the Spring 2022 show began with an audio message from Abloh discussing his creative process and the idea of exploring his childlike wonder and curiosity through his work. Many of Virgil's friends, colleagues, collaborators and muses were in attendance, including Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky, Michèle Lamy and Kid Cudi - who walked the designers first Louis Vuitton menswear show as well as appearing on what was his last runway.
I re-watched the Miami show in shock, awe, disbelief, grief, and admiration. Virgil Abloh inspired a cultural reawakening and has left behind a legacy of limitless ambition, showing us that we can think beyond our wildest dreams and achieve the impossible. Abloh taught those coming up behind him that you should speak for yourself even when no-one else recognises your worth, because soon enough they’ll be the ones following you. A man that lived a remarkable life and has left a gaping hole in the fashion universe and beyond, he was once quoted as saying “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.” Rest in power Virgil Abloh, 1980 – 2021.
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J’Nae
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