VIRGIL ABLOH MASHES IT UP
His 3% Solution and Fantastic Louis Vuitton Menswear for 2022
Since birth, Virgil Abloh has had fashion running through his veins. His mother was a seamstress, and Abloh would frequently watch and assist her in making and repairing different garments. However, he did not go the typical fashion route as far as training goes. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in civil engineering, and he went on to earn his Master of Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. After an Illinois Institute of Technology building was redesigned under famed architect Rem Koolhaas, his interest in fashion reemerged. He began designing T-shirts and contributed to the well-known fashion blog The Brilliance. Things took off from there.
After graduating, Abloh interned at Fendi (2009) along with rapper Kanye West. The pair began collaborating. They eventually caught the eye of Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke. And that would prove quite fruitful for Abloh down the road. West and Abloh ultimately launched a retail store in Chicago called RSVP Gallery. The shop carried a mixture of their designs and showcased Abloh’s architectural education in the store’s interior. West eventually appointed Abloh Creative Director of his creative agency DONDA, which led to Abloh serving as artistic director for West and Jay-Z’s 2011 album Watch the Throne.
The following year, Abloh launched his first company, Pyrex Vision, to highlight youth culture. He did this by purchasing a bunch of “deadstock” (i.e., unsold garments from previous collections) from Ralph Lauren, screen-printed his designs on them, and then re-sold them for upwards of $550. It was here that Abloh formulated his “three percent approach” – his idea that one can create a new design by changing the original by three percent. His philosophy permeated his designs, from his Off-White (his first fashion house founded in 2013) cowboy boots with “FOR WALKING” emblazoned on the calf to his receipt-printed rugs for his collaboration with IKEA.
On March 25, 2018, Abloh got a significant break in his career. He was named Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line (remember him catching the eye of Michael Burke?), making him the first person of African descent to have the role (and one of the only black designers at the helm of a major fashion house). Abloh’s designs quickly became some of the most in-demand and challenging to get. He has invoked huge pop culture-changing names in his work, from Basquiat to Michael Jordan to Michael Jackson (his first show was titled “We Are The World” in honor of the 1985 charity single).
In addition, his collaboration with Nike yielded a special outfit worn by Serena Williams throughout 2018’s US Open. In 2019, Abloh reached new heights after being appointed to The Council of Fashion Designers ofAmerica (CFDA).
While you’re here, check out images of Abloh’s truly awe-inspiring Spring/Summer 2022 collection, in which he mashes up subcultures (sports fanatics, gender-benders, you name it, it’s probably here) and brings them into a land of costumes. True to Abloh form, he made a fantastic collection for whichever version you want to be.
