Rest in Peace Virgil Abloh
Today we lost a true visionary in the world of fashion. Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White and artistic director for Louis Vuitton has passed away. He was only 41 years old. His work over the years was based on the premise of the "tourist" and the "purist". Tourists, being a generation of people who are eager to learn. Purists, being a group of people who know the deep history and nuances of things like art history and strive to keep them sacred. He often said that his work involved creating moments in which the tourists and purists could interact.
Virgil often said that the premise of his work was to tell stories and open doors for others. He also encouraged young fashion fans to find mentors who would be tough on them to help foster their growth and evolution. He was curious about the world and thought deeply about the possibilities of how it could be different. I’m incredibly inspired by his hard work, determination, and approach to fashion.
Rest in peace, Virgil. You will be deeply missed by so many.
The full statement from LVMH on the passing of Virgil Abloh can be found below.
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The passing of Virgil Abloh
LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Off White are devastated to announce the passing of Virgil Abloh, on Sunday, November 28th, of cancer, which he had been battling privately for several years.
“We are all shocked after this terrible news. Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sorrow, and we are all thinking of his loved ones after the passing of their husband, their father, their brother or their friend.” Bernard Arnault, LVMH Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Since March 2018, Virgil Abloh was Men’s Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton.
In July 2021, LVMH had acquired a majority stake in Off-White LLC, the trademark owner of Off-White™️, of which Virgil Abloh was the founder and Artistic Director since 2013. Additionally, LVMH and Mr. Abloh had announced the expansion of their relationship to launch new brands and partner with existing ones in a variety of sectors beyond the realm of fashion.
Born in Rockford, Illinois in 1980, Virgil Abloh was an artist, architect, engineer, creative director, and designer. After earning a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison, he completed a Master’s Degree in Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in a curriculum founded by Mies van der Rohe.
Virgil Abloh’s brand Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™️ was started in 2012 as an artwork titled “PYREX VISION.” In 2013, the brand premiered a seasonal men’s and women’s fashion label showing runway collections during Paris Fashion Week since 2015.
In 2015, Virgil Abloh for Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™️ is among the finalists of the LVMH Prize.
Abloh has also presented his work at major design institutions around the globe by the likes of Harvard Graduate School of Design, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2019 he had a major exhibition of past and current work at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago, Illinois.
Virgil Abloh has been awarded various prizes throughout his outstanding career, most recently winning the British Fashion Awards “Urban Luxe” award and International Designer of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2017.
Virgil Abloh
September 30, 1980 - November 28, 2021
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If you want to dive deeper into the mind of Virgil Abloh, I highly encourage you to watch or listen to this video from his conversation with Atlanta's High Museum of Art.
