Virgil Abloh, the immortal

He was fashion's rising star. He left us too soon, in 2021, aged just 41. But beyond his death, his influence lives on...‍

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‍Acareer with the big names in luxury‍

Nothing destined Abloh, a young American with a degree in architecture, for the world of fashion... However, the concept store he opened in 2009 in Chicago quickly became a meeting place for wanabee-branchés. Spotted by Kanye West, he was appointed the singer's creative advisor. Abloh's career took off like a rocket. In just a few years, he launched his own brand before being promoted to head of men's collections at Louis Vuitton in 2018. Time magazine considers him one of the most influential people in the world: it's a consecration.

At the same time, Abloh is developing collaborations with major clothing brands (Nike), luxury brands (Baccarat), as well as more mainstream names (Evian, Ikea).‍

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A designer of genius‍

For his original creations, Abloh draws inspiration from his own era, but more particularly from the nineties; he brings street codes into the world of fashion, injecting his clothes with hip-hop and skateboard references, as well as elements borrowed from photography and graffiti. He reinvents the codes of luxury, choosing, for example, to make Vuitton bags and trunks more flexible. He lays the foundations for a casual yet elegant fashion style, where accessories sometimes take the form of clothes - if not the other way around...

One thing's for sure: Virgil Abloh's legacy lives on. Beyond luxury and fashion, his work has permeated contemporary culture. His audacity, his art of mixing genres and tribes, high culture and popular art, politics and aesthetics, will continue to influence designers the world over for a long time to come.