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 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.

The appeal of Virgil Abloh was his unique ability to create work that allowed for the convergence of art, commerce as well as mass culture. Arguably, his strongest effort at this was his 2017 collaboration with sportswear brand Nike titled: The Ten. There he deconstructed ten of the brand’s signature sneakers. In 2018 he became one of the very few pioneers who also got to walk the path that they created when he succeeded British fashion designer Kim Jones; to become the first black artistic director of menswear at French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton.

Two symbols are synonymous with Off-White; quotation marks and slanted, barricade tape stripes. The stripes were born from a creative connection Virgil felt to Ben Kelly. More specifically, the stripes pay homage to Kelly’s most famous work; The Haçienda nightclub in Manchester, England. The popular venue has columns covered in barricade tape stripes for aesthetic and safety purposes. The Haçienda is an important landmark because of the role it played in modern British history and most significantly, the role it played in the regeneration of Manchester. A space that “was designed so it could always change with the times and the needs of whatever was happening”. Much like Off -White, a brand that regenerated streetwear by introducing it to the highest levels of luxury fashion. And just as The Haçienda played an important role in modern British history, OffWhite has played an immense role in shifting perspectives about fashion that is influenced by Black culture. Via Off -White sales, Abloh proved that streetwear is more than capable of satisfying the needs of the boardroom.

Virgil often lauded his training in architecture for teaching him the invaluable skill of “designing into a brief”; something he applied to every project he worked on. His course work whilst studying architecture also introduced him to his greatest idol: Rem Koolhaas. Abloh was most fascinated by Koolhaass’ awareness of various socio-political environments globally which influenced his work. Off -White responds to and encourages discussions about the politics of the times. The brand’s trademark of embellishing garments from T-shirts to evening gowns with words and phrases inside quotation marks is not just decorative. The often sarcastic words and

Credit: Anji Connell

phrases such as “for walking” printed on boots; is also a commentary on the capitalist society that we live in.

Rem’s work often pushes architecture into broader cultural realms; while delicately accessing the cultural zeitgeist. Similar to most of Virgil’s collections under Off -White, most notably his Spring 2018 collection of 40 looks in tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, and her sartorial legacy. The collection was shown just after the 20th anniversary of her death. Virgil’s choice in muse couldn’t have been more socio-politically aware during a time when fashion was looking to present itself as more meaningful than just clothes for superficial purposes. Princess Diana is the most culturally aware and sensitive fashion icon of our time. The Princess of the people would wear colourful, informal clothes when visiting children in hospital; and would carefully select gowns that carried diplomatic messages for official state visits.

Virgil Abloh met his untimely death in November 2021, aged 41; following a private battle with a rare form of cancer known as cardiac angiosarcoma. Virgil believed that “we all sharpen each other”. Having been inspired by a community of creators himself, his greatest legacy will be inspiring a broad spectrum of communities within the creative space.

Credit: Anji Connell