Virgil Abloh - Iconic Looks and Career Highlights

Virgil Abloh, founder of Milan-based luxury fashion label Off-White and artistic director of menswear for Louis Vuitton, has passed away at the age of 41. His death was announced by LVMH and on Abloh’s personal Instagram on the 28th of November, after two years of private treatment for a rare form of cancer.

While the artistic maverick’s recent passing comes as a devastating blow to luxury fashion and design everywhere, there is no doubt that Abloh’s life and work will resonate through the industry for many years to come.

Here are some of the most iconic looks and noteworthy moments from Virgil Abloh’s storied life and career.

Entry into Fashion

Throughout his meteoric rise in the fashion world, Abloh saw himself — and was often seen — as an outsider. His entrance into fashion came after a formal education not in art or fashion, but in civil engineering and architecture.

During his education, Abloh was connected with architects who had been commissioned by Prada to work on design and branding projects.

“That’s how I first made the bridge between architecture and fashion,” Abloh told GQ in a 2019 interview.

Soon after, Abloh began using the same 3D design software used in his architecture classes to make T-shirts, catching the attention of Chicago designer Don C, and eventually, Kanye West.

After some years working closely with Kanye as his creative assistant, the two took up roles as interns for Fendi in Rome. Complete outsiders to high fashion, they purportedly brought a new — and intensely disruptive — perspective to the house.

Similarly, Abloh and West’s appearances at the 2009 Paris Men’s Fashion Week turned heads and furrowed brows, as they forced their streetwear looks into headlines and onto the high fashion scene.

Rise to the Top

By this point, Abloh had already made a name for himself in streetwear, and continued working as a creative partner for West and others in a number of projects, including the albums My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Watch the Throne.

Abloh didn’t miss a beat in fashion during this time, however, with the release of Pyrex Vision — which would eventually form into the highly acclaimed brand, Off-White, a label known for its self-aware use of irony, high-powered collaborations with fashion giants and often satirical social commentary.

Needless to say, this cemented Abloh’s place in streetwear and couture circles alike. Once an outsider, Abloh was now at the front lines of a dramatic cultural shift that saw a new generation of designers take the reigns in high fashion.

In 2018 Virgil Abloh was named men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton, following in the footsteps of fashion titans Marc Jacobs and Nicolas Ghesquiere.

During his tenure at the prestigious French fashion house, Abloh sought to bring the iconic monogram to favour with a younger audience, resulting in an effortless chic that blends casual style with high fashion storytelling.

While Abloh’s time at the top of the fashion world was cut tragically short, there is no denying that he made an indelible impression on the industry. One that will, without a doubt, last well into the future.

Want to see more of Virgil Abloh’s incredible designs? Check out this Louis Vuitton collaboration with K-pop stars BTS

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