Virgil Abloh
{{Short description|American fashion designer and entrepreneur (1980–2021)}}
{{Redirect|Abloh|the social networking service|Ablo}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Virgil Abloh
| image = Virgil Abloh Paris Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2019 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Abloh in 2019
| birth_date = {{birth date|1980|9|30}}
| birth_place = Rockford, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|11|28|1980|9|30}}
| death_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| education = {{ubl|University of Wisconsin–Madison (BS)|Illinois Institute of Technology (MArch)}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Designer
- entrepreneur
- disc jockey}}
| years_active = 2009–2021
| title = {{ubl|Founder and CEO of Off-White|Artistic Director of menswear at Louis Vuitton|Creative Director of Donda}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Shannon Sundberg|2009}}
| children = 2
}}
Virgil Abloh ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|b|l|oʊ}}; September 30, 1980 – November 28, 2021) was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. A trained architect, Abloh founded his own line of luxury streetwear clothing under the moniker Pyrex Vision in 2012, which he transformed into the Milan based fashion label Off-White in 2013. Abloh was appointed artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection beginning in 2018, and was given increased creative responsibilities across the LVMH brand in early 2021.{{Cite news |last=Friedman |first=Vanessa |date=2021-07-20 |title=Virgil Abloh Gets a Seat at the Power Table |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/style/virgil-abloh-lvmh-off-white.html |access-date=2021-11-30 |issn=0362-4331}} Abloh worked in Chicago street fashion, before he entered the world of international fashion with an internship at Fendi in 2009, alongside American rapper Kanye West. Abloh assumed the role of creative director at Donda, West's creative agency in 2010.
Abloh joined LVMH in 2018, where he became the first African-American artistic director for a French luxury fashion house.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/arts/design/virgil-abloh.html |title=Virgil Abloh Has Designs on High Culture |last=Hyman |first=Dan |date=May 23, 2019 |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 13, 2019 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} He was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world that year. Abloh's design aesthetic which bridged streetwear and luxury clothing was described as transformative by The New York Times.{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/28/style/virgil-abloh-dead.html|title = Virgil Abloh, Bold Designer of Men's Wear, Dies at 41|work = The New York Times|date = November 28, 2021|accessdate = November 28, 2021|last = Friedman|first = Vanessa}} According to The Wall Street Journal, he reached a level of global fame unusual for a designer,{{Cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Jacob |date=2021-11-29 |title=Virgil Abloh Left an Outsize Impact on Global Fashion and Culture |language=en-US |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/virgil-abloh-left-an-outsize-impact-on-global-fashion-and-culture-11638145499 |access-date=2021-11-29 |issn=0099-9660}} and as an influential figure, according to the BBC.{{Cite news |date=2021-11-29 |title=Virgil Abloh: How he 'helped black people dream in fashion' |language=en-GB |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-59414088 |access-date=2021-11-30}}
Early life and education
Virgil Abloh was born on September 30, 1980, in Rockford, Illinois, to Ewe parents from Ghana.{{Cite news|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/virgil-abloh-biography-career-timeline|title=A Brief History of Virgil Abloh's Meteoric Rise|last=Yotka|first=Steff|date=March 28, 2018|publisher=Vogue|access-date=April 21, 2018 |language=en}} His mother was a seamstress{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/business/louis-vuitton-virgil-abloh.html|title=Louis Vuitton Names Virgil Abloh as Its New Men's Wear Designer|last1=Friedman |first1=Vanessa |date=March 26, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 21, 2018|last2=Paton|first2=Elizabeth|language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} and his father managed a paint company.{{Cite web|url=https://trace.tv/lifestyle/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-virgil-abloh/|title=5 things you need to know about Virgil Abloh|date=March 30, 2018|website=Trace.tv|language=fr|access-date=December 18, 2018|archive-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324053218/https://trace.tv/lifestyle/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-virgil-abloh/|url-status=dead}} From his mother, he learned how to sew. Abloh was raised in Rockford, where he attended Boylan Catholic High School, graduating in 1998. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He received his Master of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in 2006.{{Cite web |url=https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/455-virgil-abloh|title=Virgil Abloh – Columbia GSAPP|last=Rock|first=Michael|date=February 6, 2017|website=archcolumbia.edu|language=en|access-date=April 21, 2018}} When Abloh was attending IIT, there was a building on campus under construction designed by the architect Rem Koolhaas (who had also worked on runway collections for Prada). Koolhaas's building helped spark his interest in fashion. Abloh was further inspired by Crown Hall, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Abloh's master's thesis project involved a design for a Chicago skyscraper, which curved in the direction of Lake Michigan.{{Cite web |last=Connor |first=Andrew |date=2021-12-16 |title=Remembering Alumnus Virgil Abloh, a Pioneering Designer Inspired by Architecture |url=https://www.iit.edu/news/remembering-alumnus-virgil-abloh-pioneering-designer-inspired-architecture |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=Illinois Institute of Technology |language=en}} While studying architecture, he also designed T-shirts and wrote on fashion and design for a blog, The Brilliance.{{Cite web |url=http://www.thebrilliance.com/ |title=The Brilliance!|website=thebrilliance.com|language=en |access-date=December 17, 2019}} Abloh first met musician Kanye West while working on his designs at a Chicago print shop.{{Cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ae-virgil-abloh-mca-ttd-0609-story.html |title=Virgil Abloh's journey – from T-shirts to Kanye West to Louis Vuitton – now stops at the MCA for an exhibit devoted to the Rockford artist |last=Johnson |first=Steve |date=June 5, 2019 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=June 13, 2019 |language=en-US}}
Career
= 2009–2013: Rise to prominence =
After getting his architecture degree Abloh interned at Fendi in the same class as rapper Kanye West in 2009. Placed in the company's Rome, Italy office, the two began a collaborative relationship. During his work with the rapper and designer, Abloh caught the eye of the Louis Vuitton CEO, Michael Burke. Later that year, Abloh and West's artistic partner, Don C, launched a retail store, called the RSVP Gallery,{{Cite web |title=A Timeline of RSVP Gallery, Chicago's Flyest Boutique Shop |url=https://www.complex.com/style/2016/11/a-timeline-of-rsvp-gallery-chicagos-flyest-boutique-shop/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Complex |language=en}} located in Chicago. The store became known for carrying a mixture of fashion apparel, and for its reflection of Abloh's style on his design for the store interior. A year later, West appointed Abloh the creative director of his creative agency, Donda.
In 2011 West asked him to serve as the artistic director for his 2011 collaborative album with Jay-Z Watch the Throne, earning the designer a Grammy nomination. In 2012, Abloh designed the cover art for WZRD's self-titled debut.{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/style/virgil-abloh-album-covers|title = A History of Virgil Abloh's Album Covers|website = Complex Networks}} In 2012, Abloh launched his first company, Pyrex Vision. He purchased deadstock clothing from Ralph Lauren for $40, screen-printed designs on them and sold them for prices upward of $550. He closed the company down a year later as he did not intend it to be a commercial enterprise, but an artistic experiment.
= 2013–2017: Off-White and mainstream success =
{{quote box
| quote = In a large part streetwear is seen as cheap. What my goal has been is to add an intellectual layer to it and make it credible
| source = —Abloh on the inspiration behind founding high-end streetwear label, Off-White.{{Cite news |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/the-unlikely-success-of-virgil-abloh-off-white|title=The Unlikely Success of Virgil Abloh|last=Morency |first=Christopher|date=September 29, 2016|publisher=The Business of Fashion|access-date=April 23, 2018|language=en-GB}}
| align = right
| width = 20em
| bgcolor = #CCDDFF
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}}
Abloh founded his first fashion house and second business overall in 2013 with the high-end streetwear brand Off-White, designing a logo inspired by Ben Kelly.{{Cite web|title=What is Virgil Abloh ?|url=http://www.buro247.com.au/fashion/insiders/virgil-abloh.html|last=Obrist|first=Hans-Ulrich|website=BURO|date=November 30, 2017|access-date=June 10, 2020|archive-date=June 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610063956/http://www.buro247.com.au/fashion/insiders/virgil-abloh.html|url-status=dead}} Based in Milan, Italy, the company was described by Abloh as "the gray area between black and white as the color off-white" to investors and fashion critics. During the launch of his brand, he received help from the New Guards Group, who also assisted many other designers and brands, such as Palm Angels, Heron Preston, and Marcelo Burlon.{{Cite web|url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/virgil-abloh-career-timeline/|title=How Virgil Abloh Went From DJing to the World's Biggest Luxury House: a Timeline|last=Grobe|first=Max|date=March 28, 2018|website=Highsnobiety|access-date=April 1, 2019}} Abloh said his first Off-White collection was inspired by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's floating glass home, Farnsworth House, and presented it with references to the Baroque artist Caravaggio and the early 20th century German design studio The Bauhaus. The brand lead generated widespread attention for his apparel beginning in Paris, then expanding to China, Japan, and the United States. The clothing line can be identified through its use of quotation marks, zip-ties, capital letters, and barricade tape. He launched the company's women's wear line in 2014 and showed the collections at Paris Fashion Week. His line was selected as a finalist for the LVMH Prize, an industry award, but lost to Marques'Almeida and Jacquemus. Abloh launched his first concept store for Off-White in Hong Kong in 2014. He opened his second store in Tokyo, Japan, where he started the company's furniture arm, Grey Area, followed by stores in Singapore and New York. Through Abloh's re-designing he exercised his self-made rule of only editing the shoes 3% of the way because he was intrigued by still maintaining the original design of the shoe.{{Citation|last=Agostinho Zinga|title=Virgil Abloh's Lecture at Harvard's Graduate School of Design|date=October 28, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biFlrzTJets|access-date=April 1, 2019}}
= 2013–2018: Off-White and collaborations =
By the end of 2018, an index of sales and consumer sentiment ranked Off-White as the hottest label in the world, surpassing Gucci.{{Cite magazine |last=St. Felix |first=Doreen |date=2019-03-11 |title=Virgil Abloh, Menswear's Biggest Star |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/18/virgil-abloh-menswears-biggest-star |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US}} Virgil also partnered up with the Swedish furniture company IKEA to design furniture for apartments and houses as well as easy to carry tote bags with the word sculpture imprinted in the middle.{{Cite news |url=https://www.curbed.com/2017/10/17/16488560/ikea-virgil-abloh-off-white-collection-rug|title=Virgil Abloh teases a rug from Ikea and Off-White collaboration|publisher=Curbed|access-date=April 8, 2018}} The collection was named Markerad, which is a Swedish word meaning "clear-cut; crisp; pronounced", and was released in 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/virgil-abloh-ikea-collaboration-design-process-kanye-west|title=Virgil Abloh Gives a Master Class on His IKEA Collaboration Design Process {{!}} Architectural Digest|publisher=Architectural Digest|access-date=April 8, 2018|language=en}} Virgil envisioned that the collection would include practical furniture featuring contemporary designs. In 2017, he was asked to design a new collection in conjunction with Nike entitled "The Ten" and he re-designed a variety of the company's best-selling shoes. Abloh worked towards fulfilling his vision for the IKEA collection by sketching out drafts of generic pieces of furniture, while adding his own aesthetics to the designs by using a doorstop to level out furniture items. Abloh worked on designs for chairs, coffee tables, beds, storage cabinets, mirrors, and carpets as part of his collaboration with IKEA. Abloh used quotation marks to convey detachment from society and social norms.{{Cite web |url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/08/30/virgil-abloh-off-white-quotation-marks/|title=Why Does Virgil Abloh Put Everything in "QUOTES?"|last=Leach |first=Alec |date=August 30, 2017|website=Highsnobiety|access-date=May 4, 2018}}
During the rise in neo-nationalism in 2017 Abloh worked with conceptual artist Jenny Holzer to create a line emphasizing the positive aspects of immigration, cultural integration, and globalization.{{Cite news |url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/36381/1/virgil-abloh-on-getting-political-with-jenny-holzer-pitti-ss18-off-white|title=Virgil Abloh on getting political with Jenny Holzer|last=Madsen|first=Susanne|date=June 16, 2017|publisher=Dazed|access-date=April 21, 2018|language=en}} In December 2017, he worked with Holzer again to design T-shirts for Planned Parenthood in response to the Women's March on Washington.{{Cite news |url=https://hypebeast.com/2017/12/virgil-abloh-jenny-holzer-planned-parenthood-tshirt|title=Virgil Abloh & Jenny Holzer Create T-Shirt for Planned Parenthood |last=Mak |first=Hunter|date=December 1, 2017|publisher=HYPEBEAST|access-date=April 21, 2018}}
= 2018–2021: Louis Vuitton =
On March 25, 2018, Abloh was named artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear ready-to-wear line, making him the first person of African descent to lead the brand's menswear line, as well as one of the few black designers at the helm of a major French fashion house. Upon his acceptance of the position, he stated, "It is an honor for me to accept this position. I find the heritage and creative integrity of the house are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times". Abloh showed his first collection for Louis Vuitton at the 2018 Men's Fashion Week at the Palais-Royal gardens in Paris.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a19591866/louis-vuitton-menswear-designer-virgil-abloh/|title=Louis Vuitton Appoints Virgil Abloh As Its New Menswear Designer|date=March 26, 2018|magazine=Harper's BAZAAR|access-date=April 25, 2018|language=en-US}}[http://www.newsweek.com/virgil-abloh-welcomes-his-first-ever-louis-vuitton-mens-collection-fashion-989763 Virgil Abloh Debuts First-Ever Louis Vuitton Men's Collection At Fashion Week in Paris] Omari White, newsweek.com 6/21/18[https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/jun/21/virgil-abloh-louis-vuitton-debut-show-paris-menswear-spring-summer-2019 V is for Virgil: Abloh makes debut for Louis Vuitton in Paris] Scarlett Conlon, theguardian.com June 21, 2018[http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/virgil-abloh-debut-louis-vuitton-kanye-west-1202720839/ Virgil Abloh Writes New Chapter at Louis Vuitton] Joelle Diderich, Women's Wear Daily, June 20, 2018. Rihanna was the first well known person to wear Abloh prior to this watershed show.{{Cite news|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/rihanna-louis-vuitton-virgil-abloh-spring-2019-collection|title=Of Course Rihanna Is the First to Wear Virgil Abloh's Louis Vuitton|publisher=Vogue|access-date=June 26, 2018|language=en}} Playboi Carti, Steve Lacy, A$AP Nast, Dev Hynes, and Kid Cudi walked the runway for Abloh's debut Vuitton show.{{cite web |last1=Hahn |first1=Rachel |title=Playboi Carti, Steve Lacy, and More Musicians Who Walked Virgil Abloh's First Louis Vuitton Show |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/virgil-abloh-louis-vuitton-paris-spring-2019-menswear-fashion-week-dev-hynes-steve-lacy-playboi-carti-kanye-west-kid-cudi |website=Vogue |access-date=December 6, 2022 |date=June 21, 2018}} Abloh was in high demand thereafter for his designs, creating an original outfit designed for Serena Williams to wear throughout the 2018 US Open, a collaboration with Nike.{{cite web|url=https://www.refinery29.com/2018/08/207144/virgil-abloh-serena-williams-nike-us-open-dress-sneaker-collection|title=Serena Williams Talks Wearing Nike X Off-White To The U.S. Open|website=Refinery29|first=Channing|last=Hargrove|date=August 22, 2018|access-date=October 9, 2018}} On June 5, 2018, Abloh released a special collaboration with the luggage manufacturer Rimowa, a transparent suitcase in a limited edition.{{cite web |title=Rimowa Has Made a $1,000 See-Through Suitcase |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-05/rimowa-x-off-white-collaboration-features-transparent-suitcase |website=Bloomberg |access-date=February 20, 2020 |language=en |date=June 5, 2018}} In March 2019, Abloh collaborated with IKEA to start making furniture for millennials, ranging from cabinets, rugs, coffee tables, and chairs. Abloh incorporated different elements of style, such as his quotation marks around certain words and putting it on different articles of clothing, and in this case different types of furniture.{{cite web|url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/virgil-abloh-ikea-collaboration-best-look/|title=Here Is the Full Virgil Abloh x IKEA Collection With Pricing Details|last1=McGarrigle|first1=Lia|website=HIGHSNOBIETY|access-date=April 8, 2019|archive-date=June 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613200442/https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/virgil-abloh-ikea-collaboration-best-look/|url-status=dead}} For example, Abloh created a "Door Stop Interruption" on a chair by adding a doorstop on one of the chair legs to make it elevated. One of Abloh's most popular items is the Frakta Bag. It is beige with the text "SCULPTURE" imprinted on the side.{{cite web|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/01/ikea-virgil-abloh-furniture-millennial/|title=IKEA offers first look at furniture designed for millennials by Virgil Abloh|last1=Gibson|first1=Eleanor|website=Dezeen|date=May 2018|access-date=April 8, 2019}} In March 2019 Abloh teamed up with SSENSE to release a workout collection. This collection contained a variety of workout clothes ranging from; matching leggings and sports bras, athletic sweaters, and crop tops. The collection incorporated some of Abloh's signature designs by including the Off-White yellow sign wrapping around the waist of the pants and bottom of the sports bras.{{Cite web|url=https://vmagazine.com/article/v-exclusive-off-white-x-ssense-fitness-capsule/|title=Off-White's first fitness collection is here|last=Hopkins|first=Mayzie|date=March 28, 2019|website=VMagazine|access-date=April 11, 2019}} Abloh also included a three-dimensional addition of his four-way arrows, creating a cross, on the front of the tops and pants.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc9msWjpCbU|title=SSENSE : Off-White "WORKOUT" Capsule|website=YouTube|date=March 29, 2019|access-date=April 11, 2019}}
{{Quote box |quoted=true |bgcolor=#F3F0FD|salign=right|"I now have a platform to change the industry . . . We’re designers, so we can start a trend, we can highlight issues, we can make a lot of people focus on something or we can cause a lot of people to focus on ourselves. . . I’m not interested in (the latter). I’m interested in using my platform as one of a very small group of African-American males to design a house, to sort of show people in a poetic way. |source= -- Virgil Abloh (2018){{Cite news |last=Yasharoff |first=Hannah |title=Virgil Abloh, trailblazing Louis Vuitton director, dies after private cancer battle at 41 |language=en-US |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/11/28/virgil-abloh-dies-louis-vuitton-director-off-white-ceo-cancer/8786929002/ |access-date=2021-11-30}}|align=left|width=250px}}
Abloh was featured in conversation with his friend and frequent collaborator Takashi Murakami on the cover of the fall 2018 issue of Cultured magazine.{{Cite news|url=https://www.culturedmag.com/virgil-abloh-takashi-murakami|title=Virgil Abloh and Takashi Murakami are Changing the Conversation One Collaboration at a Time|last=Roffino|first=Sara|date=September 2018|publisher=Cultured magazine|access-date=February 17, 2019}}
In 2019, Abloh was appointed to the board of directors of The Council of Fashion Designers of America. The council seeks to promote the American fashion industry.{{Cite web |url=https://cfda.com/news/meet-the-new-cfda-board-members |title=Meet the New CFDA Board Members |last=Karimzedah |first=Marc |date=September 3, 2019 |website=cfda.com |access-date=September 4, 2019}}
Abloh created a custom Off-White gown and veil for Hailey Bieber's wedding day. On the veil, he included his famous quotation marks design around the words "till death do us part".{{Cite web|url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/justin-bieber-wedding-hailey-baldwin|title=Everything We Know About Justin Bieber And Hailey Baldwin's Wedding|website=British Vogue|first=Alice|last=Newbold|date=July 9, 2019|language=en-GB|access-date=November 3, 2019}}
In July 2021, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton announced it would be taking a 60% stake in Off-White, with founder Abloh, then the creative director of menswear for Louis Vuitton, retaining the remaining 40%.{{Cite news|last=Dalton|first=Matthew|date=July 20, 2021|title=Virgil Abloh Sells Off-White to LVMH, Deepening Ties With Luxury Conglomerate|language=en-US|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/virgil-abloh-sells-off-white-to-lvmh-deepening-ties-with-luxury-conglomerate-11626783903|access-date=July 20, 2021|issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite news|last=Dalton|first=Matthew|date=March 26, 2018|title=Louis Vuitton Appoints Virgil Abloh as New Creative Director|language=en-US|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/louis-vuitton-appoints-virgil-abloh-as-new-creative-director-1522072045|access-date=July 20, 2021|issn=0099-9660}} At the same time, Abloh was given greater creative control across the LVMH brand.
= Art =
Abloh worked frequently with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Abloh was given a solo art show in Murakami's Kaikai Kiki art gallery in Tokyo, Japan. Pieces of their artwork were showcased together at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and Murakami's shop Oz Zingaro in Tokyo.{{cite web |last1=Cowen |first1=Trace William |title=Virgil Abloh's First Solo Art Show Debuts at Takashi Murakami's Tokyo Gallery This Month |url=https://www.complex.com/style/2018/03/virgil-abloh-first-solo-art-show-debuts-takashi-murakami-tokyo-gallery |website=Complex |access-date=April 8, 2019}} In 2018, Abloh and Murakami collaborated on a series of exhibitions at Gagosian Gallery's outposts in London,[https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2018/murakami-abloh-future-history/ Murakami & Abloh: future history, February 21 – April 7, 2018] Gagosian Gallery. Paris,{{Cite web|url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/virgil-abloh-and-takashi-murakami-talk-making-art-via-whatsapp-1202729996/|title=Virgil Abloh and Takashi Murakami Talk Making Art Via WhatsApp|last=Foreman|first=Katya|date=June 23, 2018|website=WWD|access-date=April 12, 2019}} and Beverly Hills.{{cite web |last1=Therrien |first1=Allison |title=Murakami & Abloh "America Too" |url=https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2018/murakami-abloh-america-too/ |website=Gagosian |date=September 13, 2018 |access-date= April 8, 2019}} In 2019, Abloh introduced the MCA speech campaign for the CTA's Red Line train wrap.[https://www.spotern.com/en/spot/instagram/travisscott/316675/the-train-station-in-chicago-on-the-account-instagram-of-atvirgilabloh The train station in Chicago on the account Instagram of @virgilabloh][https://chicagoathleticevents.com/mca-checks-in-virgil-abloh/ MCA Checks In: Virgil Abloh]{{cite tweet |url=https://www.twitter.com/claire_voon/status/1137017949359935488 |title=looks like chicago is, uh, getting some Virgil Abloh CTA art |user=claire_voon |number=1137017949359935488 |date=June 7, 2019 |access-date=December 29, 2021 }}[https://mcachicago.org/exhibitions/2019/virgil-abloh Figures of Speech][https://sanjanaelina.com/thin-red-line-documentation Thin Red Line Documentation]
Abloh showcased an installation and billboard commission at the Spazio Maiocchi in Milan, Italy where he gave a speech on streetwear becoming "...the next global art movement”.{{Cite web |date=2018-10-20 |title=KALEIDOSCOPE Issue 33 Takeover — Spazio Maiocchi |url=https://www.spaziomaiocchi.com/kaleidoscope-takeover/ |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=www.spaziomaiocchi.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Kaleidoscope Presents |url=https://us.slamjam.com/blogs/editorial/kaleidoscope-presents-virgil-abloh-one-of-us |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=Slam Jam |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Virgil Abloh presenting new art installation in Milan |url=https://www.nssmag.com/en/article/16775 |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=nss magazine |language=en}} Abloh's first solo art exhibition occurred at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in 2019.{{Cite web |date=2019-06-07 |title=New Supreme Box Logo Worn by Chief Keef at Virgil Abloh Exhibit |url=https://hypebeast.com/2019/6/supreme-box-mca-chicago-chief-keef |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=Hypebeast}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/06/11/731795146/designer-virgil-ablohs-artistic-touch-on-display-in-new-exhibit-in-chicago |title=Designer Virgil Abloh's Artistic Touch On Display In New Exhibit In Chicago |last=Sheppard |first=Carrie |date=June 11, 2019 |publisher=All Things Considered - National Public Radio |access-date=June 12, 2019 |language=en}} This show featured a large scale sculpture of Kanye West's Yeezus cover art and repeated photographs of Chief Keef wearing a Supreme t-shirt designed by Abloh.{{Cite web |title=MCA - Virgil Abloh: "Figures of Speech" {{!}} Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago |url=https://mcachicago.org/exhibitions/2019/virgil-abloh |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=mcachicago.org}} After Chicago, Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech{{Cite web |title=Brooklyn Museum: Virgil Abloh: "Figures of Speech" |url=https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/virgil_abloh |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=www.brooklynmuseum.org}} traveled to the High Museum of Art,{{Cite web |title=Virgil Abloh: "Figures of Speech" |url=https://high.org/exhibition/virgil-abloh-figures-of-speech/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=High Museum of Art |language=en-US}} the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, and Qatar Museums, as part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-07 |title=Virgil Abloh's "Figures of Speech" Will Open in Qatar Next Month |url=https://hypebeast.com/2021/10/virgil-abloh-figures-of-speech-qatar-museums-garage-gallery-fire-station |access-date=2021-11-30 |website=HYPEBEAST}} The exhibition was intended to offer a mid-career retrospective of Abloh's endeavors in art, design and music.{{Cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/inside-new-chicago-exhibit-dedicated-fashion-designer-virgil-abloh-1217073 |title=Inside the New Chicago Exhibit Dedicated to Fashion Designer Virgil Abloh |last=Sheckells |first=Melinda |date=June 10, 2019 |publisher=Hollywood Reporter |access-date=June 21, 2019 |language=en}} The Brooklyn Museum displayed Figures of Speech from July 1, 2022 – January 29, 2023. Brooklyn's edition of the exhibition spanned the two decades of the artist’s practice, including collaborations with artist Takashi Murakami, musician Kanye West, and architect Rem Koolhaas, among others; material from his fashion label Off-White; and items from Louis Vuitton, where he served as the first Black menswear artistic director. The installation also offered a space for gathering and performances, designed to counter the historical lack of space afforded to Black artists and Black people in cultural institutions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/virgil_abloh|title = Brooklyn Museum: Virgil Abloh: "Figures of Speech"}}
= Music =
Abloh's interest in music led him to DJing beginning in his teens. He DJ'd at house parties throughout high school and college.{{Cite web|url=https://hypebeast.com/2016/7/virgil-abloh-boiler-room-billboard-interview|title=Virgil Abloh Speaks on His Origins as a DJ|website=HYPEBEAST|date=July 20, 2016|access-date=June 28, 2019}} His influences included DJ's A-Trak, Benji B, and Gilles Peterson.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2016/jul/12/virgil-abloh-dj-streetwear-fashion-kanye-brooklyn|title=Virgil Abloh on DJing and streetwear: 'Fashion is about to take a left turn'|last=Bakare|first=Lanre|date=July 12, 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=June 28, 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} Over the years, Abloh gained recognition as a DJ and started playing shows internationally. He played at Hi Ibiza and was also booked for the 2019 edition of the Tomorrowland festival.{{Cite web|url=https://weraveyou.com/2019/04/tomorrowland-announces-artists/|title=Tomorrowland announces new wave of artists|last=Torà|first= Pol|date=April 24, 2019|website=We Rave You|language=en-US|access-date=June 28, 2019}} Abloh released his first single "Orvnge" with German DJ/producer Boys Noize in January 2018.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8096544/virgil-abloh-first-single-orvnge-boys-noize|title=Fashion Star Virgil Abloh Drops First Single 'Orvnge' With Boys Noize: Listen|magazine=Billboard|date=January 26, 2018|access-date=June 28, 2019}} In June 2019, Abloh was named to a DJ residency at Wynn Las Vegas's XS Nightclub, with Wynn also agreeing to open an Off-White store.{{Cite news |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8516840/virgil-abloh-dj-residency-off-white-store-wynn-las-vegas |title=Virgil Abloh Announces DJ Residency & Off-White Store at Wynn Las Vegas |last=Bien |first=Kat |date=June 20, 2019 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=June 28, 2019}}
In May 2019 Pioneer, maker of DJ consoles, announced its collaboration with Abloh in design of its transparent CDJ-2000NXS2 and DJM-900NXS2 models.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pioneerdj.com/en-us/news/2019/new-collaboration-with-virgil-abloh/|title=New collaboration: Pioneer DJ c/o Virgil Abloh - News - Pioneer DJ News|website=Pioneer DJ|language=en-US|access-date=June 28, 2019}} The consoles were displayed at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art in the Figures of Speech Exhibition.{{Cite web|url=https://weraveyou.com/2019/05/pioneer-dj-transparent-cdj/|title=PIONEER DJ unveil brand-new transparent DJ equipment|last=Thüne|first=Phil|date=May 23, 2019|website=We Rave You|language=en-US|access-date=June 28, 2019}}
In June 2020, Abloh designed the original cover for Pop Smoke album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. The original cover came under heavy criticism from fans. On July 2, a new cover, designed by Ryder Ripps, was revealed along with the album's release.{{Cite web|last=Hussey|first=Allison|title=Pop Smoke's Posthumous New Album Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon Released|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/pop-smokes-posthumous-new-album-shoot-for-the-stars-aim-for-the-moon-released-listen/|access-date=July 16, 2020|website=Pitchfork|date=July 3, 2020|language=en-us}} Abloh also worked on album art for artists ASAP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert's Luv Is Rage 2,{{Cite web |title=Virgil Abloh Explains How He Made The Album Art For Lil Uzi Vert's Luv Is Rage 2 |url=https://www.thefader.com/2017/08/25/virgil-abloh-interview-lil-uzi-vert-luv-is-rage-2-album-cover-art |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=The FADER |date=August 24, 2017 |language=en}} Kanye West's Yeezus,{{Cite web |title=Who Does the 'Yeezus' Artwork Really Belong To? |date=September 27, 2018 |url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/kanye-west-yeezus-artwork-controversy/ |access-date=2023-08-10}} Kid Cudi, Travis Scott and Westside Gunn.{{Cite web|title=A History of Virgil Abloh's Album Covers|url=https://www.complex.com/style/virgil-abloh-album-covers|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Complex|language=en}}
In 2021, he launched a new monthly two-hour internet radio show on Worldwide FM, "Imaginary Radio" c/o Virgil Abloh. The show featured DJ sets and interviews with musicians and other creatives; early guests included artists like electronic artist Omar-S and Alex Sowinski of BadBadNotGood.{{Cite AV media|url=https://worldwidefm.net/episode/virgil-abloh|title=Imaginary Radio Care of Virgil Abloh|date=May 13, 2021|type=Audio|language=en-US|publisher=Worldwide FM|minutes=2:38–4:40}}{{Cite web|title=Virgil Abloh™ with Omar S and Alex from BadBadNotGood {{!}} WorldwideFM|url=https://worldwidefm.net/episode/virgil-abloh-with-omar-s-and-alex-from-badbadnotgood|access-date=June 11, 2021|website=worldwidefm.net}} He previously had a show on Apple Music 1 called "TELEVISED RADIO". Five episodes were released between 2018 and 2020.{{Cite web|title="TELEVISED RADIO" on Apple Music|url=https://music.apple.com/us/curator/televised-radio/1324770314|access-date=June 11, 2021|website=Apple Music|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=December 8, 2019|title=Virgil Abloh Returns With Episode "4" of "TELEVISED RADIO"|url=https://hypebeast.com/2019/12/virgil-abloh-apple-beats-1-radio-televised-radio-4-stream|access-date=June 11, 2021|website=HYPEBEAST}}{{Cite web|last=Yotka|first=Steff|title=Exclusive: Virgil Abloh Is Launching His Own Beats 1 Radio Show on Apple Music|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/virgil-abloh-launching-beats-1-radio-show-apple-music|access-date=June 11, 2021|website=Vogue|date=June 15, 2018|language=en-US}}
In 2021, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) published "You Can Do It Too": Songs for, by, and with Virgil Abloh.{{Cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Arlette |date=2021-12-06 |title="You Can Do It Too": Songs for, by, and with Virgil Abloh {{!}} Magazine {{!}} MoMA |url=https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/667 |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=The Museum of Modern Art |language=en}}
Controversies
Abloh noted that one of his principles is that a new design can be created by changing an original by only three percent.{{Cite web|last=Thorpe|first=Harriet|title=Virgil Abloh, The Incidents Book|url=https://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/virgil-abloh-the-incidents-book-harvard-gsd-sternberg-press|website=Wallpaper Magazine|date=June 18, 2018}} He described his approach as being "ironic detachment" and that Duchamp's precedent "gives him the grounds to copy and paste, to take and to re-apply". This philosophy caused Abloh to be accused of plagiarism and appropriation.{{Cite web|last=Delistraty|first=Cody|title=The Endless Appropriations of Virgil Abloh|url=https://garage.vice.com/en_us/article/paq4p7/appropriations-virgil-abloh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122170244/https://garage.vice.com/en_us/article/paq4p7/appropriations-virgil-abloh|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 22, 2018|website=Garage Magazine|date=January 21, 2018}}{{Cite web|last=Marcus|first=Ezra|title=Belgian Designer Accuses Virgil Abloh of Copying. Again.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/fashion/virgil-abloh-walter-van-beirendonck-kanye-west-louis-vuitton.htmlh|website=New York Times}}
The originality of Off-White's logo design with its alternating parallel diagonal lines has been contested by a number of parties, including Ben Kelly, who popularized this graphic in the early 1980s.{{Cite web|title=Off-White and Paige have put their multi-faceted fight over Stripes to Bed|url=https://www.thefashionlaw.com/off-white-and-paige-are-no-longer-fighting-over-their-striped-trademarks/|website=The Fashion Law|date=October 29, 2018}}{{Cite web|last=Stanley|first=Jack|title=Ben Kelly on the Hacienda's Legacy & Working with Virgil Abloh|url=https://hypebeast.com/2018/10/ben-kelly-virgil-abloh-hacienda-columns-interview|website=Hypebeast|date=October 17, 2018}} Fashion blog Diet Prada has compared several of Abloh's designs, from chairs to apparel, with existing designs.{{Cite magazine|last=St. Felix|first=Doreen|title=Virgil Abloh, Menswear's Biggest Star|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/18/virgil-abloh-menswears-biggest-star|magazine=The New Yorker|date=March 11, 2019}}
Abloh's fall/winter 2019 collection was based on his "ultimate muse", Michael Jackson. The launch occurred one week prior to the release of Leaving Neverland at the Sundance Film Festival.{{Cite web|last=Mondalek|first=Alexandra|title=Louis Vuitton has a Michael Jackson Problem|url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/louis-vuitton-has-a-michael-jackson-problem|website=Business of Fashion|date=March 14, 2019}} In response, Louis Vuitton announced they would not produce any items that directly featured Michael Jackson elements.{{Cite web|title=Louis Vuitton addresses Michael Jackson Controversy|url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/louis-vuitton-addresses-michael-jackson-controversey-1203084577/|website=WWD|date=March 14, 2019}} Abloh also received criticism in early 2019 when images of his Off-White team suggested a lack of cultural diversity at his head office.{{Cite web|last=Penrose|first=Nerisha|title=Virgil Abloh responds to Off-White's Lack of Diversity Criticism|url=https://www.elle.com/fashion/a27360214/virgil-abloh-off-white-lack-of-diversity-response/|website=ELLE Magazine|date=May 3, 2019}}
In 2019, LVMH recorded a 20% growth in sales that were in part attributed to his appointment.{{Cite news|last=Williams|first=Robert|title=LVMH Gains to Record as Louis Vuitton, Dior Fuel Growth|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-24/louis-vuitton-and-dior-drive-booming-sales-at-lvmh|website=Bloomberg|date=July 24, 2019 }} However, in December 2019 Abloh predicted that streetwear would die in 2020 as people moved to vintage clothing.{{Cite web|last=Hope Allwood|first=Emma|title=Virgil Abloh: Streetwear? It's definitely gonna die|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/47195/1/virgil-abloh-end-of-2010s-interview-death-of-streetwear|website=Dazed Magazine|date=December 17, 2019}} On the March 2020 launch of his collaboration with Japanese streetwear designer Nigo, Abloh retracted his earlier comments clarifying that he was only riffing, describing himself as a novice.{{Cite web|last=Phelps|first=Nicole|title=Virgil Abloh Shares Pics of His LV² Collaboration With Nigo and Clarifies That "Streetwear Is Dead" Comment|url=https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/louis-vuitton-lv2-virgil-abloh-nigo-collaboration|website=Vogue Magazine|date=March 9, 2020}}
During the George Floyd protests in mid-2020, Abloh attracted criticism after posting on social media a screenshot showing that he had made a $50 donation to Miami-based art collective (F)empower to go towards protesters' legal costs,{{cite web |title=Louis Vuitton designer apologises for comments on U.S. protests |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-minneapolis-police-protests-louisvuit/louis-vuitton-designer-apologises-for-comments-on-us-protests-idUSKBN2391CQ |publisher=Reuters |access-date=June 5, 2020 |date=June 2, 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Elan |first1=Priya |title=Virgil Abloh criticised for response to looting during George Floyd protests |url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/jun/01/virgil-abloh-criticised-for-response-to-looting-during-george-floyd-protests |work=The Guardian |access-date=June 5, 2020 |date=June 1, 2020}} adding that he was "crazy inspired".{{cite web |last1=Friedman |first1=Vanessa |last2=Paton |first2=Elizabeth |title=The Virgil Abloh Backlash |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/style/virgil-abloh-george-floyd-protests.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 5, 2020 |date=June 1, 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Lustig |first1=Hanna |title=Louis Vuitton artistic director Virgil Abloh is being criticized for flexing a $50 donation to a bail fund |url=https://www.insider.com/virgil-abloh-backlash-protest-floyd-bail-fund-donation-receipt-screenshot-2020-6 |publisher=Insider |access-date=June 5, 2020 |date=June 1, 2020}} He later said on Instagram{{cite web |last1=Kiefer |first1=Halle |title=Louis Vuitton's Virgil Abloh Apologizes After Receiving Backlash for Protest Comments, $50 Donation |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/06/louis-vuittons-virgil-abloh-sorry-for-blm-protest-comments.html |publisher=Vulture |access-date=June 5, 2020 |date=June 1, 2020}} that "I can understand your frustration if you think my contributions were limited to $50... [that is] purely false when it comes to the total. I have donated $20,500 to bail funds and other causes related to this movement,"{{cite web |last1=Abloh |first1=Virgil |title=[Let me start...] |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CA6ObECpnvH/ |publisher=Instagram |access-date=June 5, 2020 |date=June 1, 2020}} and continued, "I will continue to donate more and will continue to use my voice to urge my peers to do the same."{{cite web |last1=Stidhum |first1=Tonja Renée |title=Virgil Abloh Apologizes for Contributing to Negative Looting Narrative, Assures He Donated More Than $50 |url=https://theglowup.theroot.com/virgil-abloh-apologizes-for-contributing-to-negative-lo-1843852357 |website=The Root |access-date=June 5, 2020 |date=June 2, 2020}} Abloh also subsequently stated that the looting of businesses during the George Floyd protests was an example of why streetwear "is dead".
Philanthropy
In 2020, he established the Virgil Abloh "Post-Modern" Scholarship Fund. Abloh raised $1 million for the scholarships which will be managed by the Fashion Scholarship Fund to assist Black students.{{Cite news|date=July 11, 2020|title=VIRGIL ABLOH "POST-MODERN" SCHOLARSHIP FUND|language=en|url=https://www.fashionscholarshipfund.org/virgil-abloh}} In July 2020, Abloh's brand Off-White launched a fundraising program called "I Support Young Black Businesses" that sold Hoodies and T-Shirts with "I Support Young Black Businesses" written on them.{{Cite web |date=2020-08-02 |title=Virgil Abloh's Off-White Announcing 'I Support Young Black Businesses' Program 2020 |url=https://thetrendmemo.com/off-white-support-young-black-businesses/ |access-date=2022-05-25 |language=en-US |archive-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629010204/https://thetrendmemo.com/off-white-support-young-black-businesses/ |url-status=dead }} All of those proceeds went to an organization called Chicago CRED, aimed to diminish gun violence.{{Cite web|last1=Anyanwu|first1=Obi|date=2020-07-31|title=Virgil Abloh Launches 'I Support Young Black Businesses' Program|url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/virgil-abloh-launches-i-support-young-black-businesses-program-1203692075/|access-date=2022-02-17|website=WWD|language=en-US}} Also that year, with Nike he finished the redesign and renovations of the Boys and Girls Club facility in East Garfield Park, Chicago.{{Cite news |last=Anthony |first=Katie |date=2021-11-28 |title=Virgil Abloh's deep roots in Chicago |newspaper= Chicago Sun-Times|language=en |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/11/28/22806703/virgil-ablohs-deep-roots-in-chicago |access-date=2021-11-30}} Abloh spent significant amounts of his time to mentor and provide mentoring resources to young designers.{{Cite news |last=Kambhampaty |first=Anna P. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/02/style/virgil-abloh-mentorship.html |title=Oh, to Be Mentored by Virgil Abloh |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2021-12-02 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Awards and honors
Abloh received his first major award in 2011 when his work designing the cover art for American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West's collaborative album Watch the Throne was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package. In 2015, Abloh (for Off-White) was one of the finalists for the LVMH Prize. Abloh was the only American designer to be nominated for the award that year. Abloh's Charlie Hebdo-inspired "War is Not Over!" tees as well as his toppers from his fall 2015 women's collection gained him the most traction.{{cite web |title=This Just In: Meet the LVMH Prize Finalists |date=March 17, 2015|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/2015-lvmh-prize-finalists}} He received the Urban Luxe award at the 2017 British Fashion Awards.{{Cite web |title=Qui sont les lauréats des Fashion Awards 2017 à Londres ? |url=https://www.vogue.fr/lifestyle/soirees/diaporama/british-fashion-awards-laureats-adwoa-aboah-christopher-bailey/47582 |access-date=19 March 2024 |website=Vogue France|date=December 5, 2017 }} He also won International designer of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year awards in 2017.{{cite web |title=Virgil Abloh and Asap Rocky at The 2017 GQ Australian Men of the Year Awards |date=November 23, 2017 |url=https://pausemag.co.uk/2017/11/virgil-abloh-at-the-2017-gq-australian-men-of-the-year-awards/ |publisher=PAUSE |access-date=April 1, 2019}} Abloh's Off-White Air Jordan "the Ten" collaboration won 2017's Shoe of the Year and he received the nod for Accessory Designer of the Year.{{cite web |last1=Carballo |first1=Charlie |title=Virgil Abloh and Tabitha Simmons Are Among the CFDA Awards Nominees |url=https://footwearnews.com/2019/fashion/awards/cfda-awards-2019-nominees-virgil-abloh-tabitha-simmons-1202762569/ |website=Footwear News |date=March 20, 2019 |access-date=April 1, 2019}} Abloh was listed as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2018, one of two designers named that year.{{Cite news|url=https://www.gq.com/story/virgil-abloh-time-100-most-influential|title=Virgil Abloh Is One of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World|last=Wolf|first=Cam|date=April 19, 2018|publisher=GQ|access-date=April 21, 2018|language=en}} In the Time issue, Japanese artist Takashi Murakami wrote that Abloh's impressive achievements led to his listing.{{cite magazine |last1=Murakami |first1=Takashi |title=Virgil Abloh |url=https://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5238167/virgil-abloh/ |magazine=Time |access-date=April 1, 2019}} In December 2018, Abloh was honored as a leading innovator by Ebony Power 100.{{cite web |title=Ebony Power 100 2018: The List |url=https://www.ebony.com/power100-2018/the-list.php |website=Ebony |access-date=December 1, 2021}} Abloh was also nominated for 2019 Menswear Designer of the Year.{{Cite web|url=https://footwearnews.com/2019/fashion/awards/cfda-awards-2019-nominees-virgil-abloh-tabitha-simmons-1202762569/ |title=Virgil Abloh and Tabitha Simmons Are Among the CFDA Awards Nominees|last=Carballo|first=Charlie|date=March 19, 2019|website=FootwearNews|access-date=April 12, 2019}} As a tribute to Abloh, Kid Cudi released an album titled Entergalactic, which was released on his birthday September 30.
Personal life and death
Abloh met his wife, Shannon Sundberg in high school, where they began dating. After 10 years of dating, Abloh and Sundberg married in Chicago in 2009.{{Cite web |title=Real Wedding: Shannon Sundberg & Virgil Abloh |url=https://www.insideweddings.com/weddings/purple-hued-timeless-wedding-in-chicago-illinois/45882/ |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=Inside Weddings.com |language=en}} Abloh lived in Chicago with his wife and their two children.{{Cite news|last=Solway|first=Diane|date=April 20, 2017|title=Virgil Abloh and His Army of Disruptors: How He Became the King of Social Media Superinfluencers|language=en|publisher=W Magazine|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/virgil-abloh-off-white-kanye-west-raf-simons|access-date=April 24, 2018}}
In 2019, Abloh was diagnosed with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare type of cancer, though he kept the diagnosis private. He died on November 28, 2021, at the age of 41, in Chicago.{{cite news|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/virgil-abloh-dies-age-41-b1965673.html?|title= Virgil Abloh Death: Influential Louis Vuitton Menswear Designer Dies at 41|work=The Independent|last=Dodds|first=Io|date=November 28, 2021}}{{Cite web |author=Caitlin Hu and Eric Levenson |title=Virgil Abloh, artistic director for Louis Vuitton and Off-White founder, dies of cancer at 41 |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/virgil-abloh-death/index.html |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=CNN |date=November 28, 2021 |language=en}} With the family's permission, LVMH paid tribute to Abloh at their planned November 30 spin-out fashion show in Miami, with a theme of "Virgil was here". Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, ASAP Rocky, Bella Hadid, Pharrell Williams, Tahar Rahim, Venus Williams, Joe Jonas, Ricky Martin, Jeremy Pope, 21 Savage, Joan Smalls, and Bernard Arnault attended the tribute. Louis Vuitton dedicated its window displays worldwide, also using the dedication "Virgil was here".{{Cite magazine |last=Socha |first=Miles |date=2021-12-06 |title=Louis Vuitton Dedicates Windows Worldwide to the Late Virgil Abloh |url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/virgil-abloh-tribute-windows-vuitton-1235010221/ |magazine=WWD |language=en-US}}
Kanye West later led a tribute to Abloh at his Sunday Service event with the song Easy on Me by Adele on November 28, 2021.{{Cite web |last=Owoseje |first=Toyin |date=2021-11-29 |title=Kanye West leads tributes to Virgil Abloh with moving Sunday Service cover of Adele's 'Easy on Me' |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/virgil-abloh-tributes-kanye-west-frank-ocean-hailey-bieber-intl-scli/index.html |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=CNN |language=en}}
Abloh's funeral service took place on December 6, 2021, in Chicago, with Drake, Rihanna, West, Kardashian, Kid Cudi, Tyler, the Creator, A$AP Rocky, Frank Ocean, Vic Mensa, Lauryn Hill, Don C, and Jerry Lorenzo in attendance amongst his family and other close friends.{{Cite web|title=Kanye West, Drake, Tyler, the Creator, and More Attend Virgil Abloh's Funeral in Chicago|url=https://www.complex.com/music/kanye-drake-tyler-the-creator-and-more-attend-virgil-ablohs-funeral-in-chicago|access-date=2021-12-07|website=Complex|language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Virgil Abloh Funeral: Kanye West, Drake, and More Attend |language=en |publisher=BET |url=https://www.bet.com/article/ry8y9t/virgil-abloh-funeral-kanye-drake-others-attend-private-memorial-service |access-date=2022-10-09}}
In March 2022, Lil Durk and Gunna paid tribute to Virgil with the song "What Happened to Virgil".{{Cite magazine |last=Zemler |first=Emily |date=2022-04-13 |title=Lil Durk, Gunna Pay Tribute to Virgil Abloh in 'What Happened To Virgil' Video |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lil-durk-gunna-what-happened-to-virgil-video-1336891/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}
Books
- Insert Complicated Title Here (2018)
- Virgil Abloh. Nike. ICONS (2020)
- Abloh-isms (2021)
- Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech (2022)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
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- {{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/22/arts/design/virgil-abloh-mca-chicago.html |title=Can Virgil Abloh Fit in a Museum? |last=Caramanica |first=Jon |date=August 24, 2019 |work=The New York Times |access-date=September 4, 2019 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
- {{Cite book |last=Darling |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FewFwQEACAAJ |title=Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech Special Edition |publisher=DelMonico Books·Prestel |year=2019 |isbn=978-3-7913-5900-7 |language=en}}
- {{Cite magazine |last=Yotka |first=Steff |title=Before Vogue's Forces of Fashion Event, Hear Virgil Abloh in his Own Words |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/before-vogues-forces-of-fashion-event-hear-virgil-abloh-in-his-own-words |magazine=Vogue |language=en |publisher=Condé Nast |publication-date=August 30, 2019|access-date=September 8, 2019}}
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Category:21st-century African-American artists
Category:21st-century American businesspeople
Category:African-American architects
Category:African-American fashion designers
Category:American fashion designers
Category:American art directors
Category:American people of Ghanaian descent
Category:Businesspeople from Chicago
Category:Deaths from angiosarcoma
Category:Deaths from cancer in Illinois
Category:Illinois Institute of Technology alumni
Category:People from Rockford, Illinois
Category:Record producers from Illinois
Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Engineering alumni