ADVENTURES IN FASHION
THE
ENVIRONMENT
THAT BUILT
Virgil Abloh (1980 - 2021) Zanenhlanhla Sithole
The work of Ghanaian - American multidisciplinary creative Virgil Abloh was always a blend of experiences and perspectives; he never created in isolation. For Virgil, life was collaboration. The designers’ street influences were always very clearly defined; which is why most will conclude that his biggest sources of inspiration were the hip–hop and skateboarding cultures. However, it was Abloh’s university training in the built environment that familiarised him with his greatest influences: British interior designer Ben Kelly and Dutch architect Remment ‘Rem’ Koolhaas. Born in 1980 in Rockford, Illinois, USA to Ghanaian immigrants; Abloh began to satiate his curiosity by doing research into skateboarding, rock n’ roll, and hip-hop culture as a teenager. In 1998 Virgil began his career as a DJ using the stage name ‘Flat White’ and performed at festivals, as well as fashion and hip-hop parties. Although being more right-brained than left-brained, Virgil took the analytical route in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He obtained the qualification in 2002 and went on to study architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. It was also around this time that he became an eternal muse to Kanye West who was immediately enamoured by Abloh’s special ability to create
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using a wide range of mediums. Virgil became Kanyes’ personal creative director and was responsible for designing the rappers’ tour merchandise, album covers, and set design. Virgil once spoke about feeling as though he is a “perpetual kid at school”. That awareness of the sacredness of the continuous pursuit of knowledge led him to intern at the Italian luxury fashion house Fendi. Together with Kanye, he earned $500 per month while learning the basics of fashion design. His first fashion line Pyrex Vision was launched in 2012; a small collection of t-shirts, hoodies, basketball shorts, socks, and flannel shirts decorated with collegiate lettering and Renaissance art. Perhaps the most lethal weapon in Abloh’s arsenal was his business savvy – the ability to create a desire for high-priced, low-quality clothing that mostly sold out in a matter of minutes. Pyrex Vision’s flannel shirts became infamous when it was discovered that the designer was simply printing his logo onto old Ralph Lauren shirts and controversially charging $550. He then partnered with Matthew Williams and Heron Preston to form a lifestyle collective called Been Trill. 2013 saw him bring streetwear to the luxury market when he launched Off-White; a sensation that continues to cause mayhem with every collection and collaboration in the upscale streetwear market.
Fifth Chukker Magazine | Issue 16
