Sometimes change can be a really good thing. Fashion, art, and culture are constantly changing narratives in order to be better and to be forward. Now, people spend their lives dreaming of being a spokesperson for any of these topics. Some people really do get close to that dream, but Virgil Abloh was the artist and designer who was able to dream big, get there, and do it powerfully.
Abloh’s resume is astounding, really. He was the first-ever Black artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear along with being the founder of the iconic luxury streetwear brand Off-White. But before he became bigger than himself, he garnered the support of everyone he interacted with. He started off his career with an internship at Fendi with long-time friend Kanye West. When asked about his artistic direction, his sheer drive and passion mesmerized anyone who listened. Abloh wanted to expand the definition of luxury and who gets a part in that. In talking about his internship with West and in being Black artists trying to make it into the fashion world he said, “We were a generation that was interested in fashion and weren’t supposed to be there. We saw this as our chance to participate and make current culture. In a lot of ways, it felt like we were bringing more excitement than the industry was.” Today Abloh is regarded as a pioneer for bringing streetwear and skate culture into luxury design.
The designer passed away at 41 just a couple of days before the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 runway show from a rare cardiac cancer on November 28. The show became a tribute to his work titled, “Virgil Was Here.” We all know that shows like this are usually all about the clothes, but this one was about commemorating an industry titan who cared about things that mattered. The show reflects everything about his character; it was nonchalant but with a charm and a ferocity like no other. The show concluded with his voice, “Life is so short that you can’t even waste a day subscribing to what someone thinks you can do, versus what you can do.”
With his power, Abloh participated in countless initiatives to empower other aspiring designers. One in particular that stands out is his program called, “Free Game,” where he created a step-by-step guide for Black POC artists, or anyone interested, on how to effectively build their own brand based on his own past experiences. Sections in this program are titled, How to name your brand, How to obtain a trademark, How to use adobe creative suite, and a whole lot of other resources.
Within the murmurs of all that knew him, he’s talked about as a mastermind with the way he would take art and spark relevant conversation about it. An example of this was his taking of inspiration from the American novelist and a prominent voice in the American Civil Rights Movement, James Baldwin. One of his shows was actually inspired by Baldwin’s essay, “Stranger in the Village,” which dealt with an African American man feeling out of place in Switzerland; in-depth it delves into race discrepancies in the US. Another show was tinted with styles such as wide-brimmed hats and busy New York sidewalk aesthetics that reflect the essence of Baldwin’s stories that had many people’s heads turning.
Abloh was a pioneer, an artist, and many people’s biggest inspiration. If there’s a lesson to be learned through his life is that we should take advantage of every second we have and uplift others with the power we have. Virgil was here but his impact on the world is eternal.