Black Excellence Month: Virgil Abloh

Virgil Abloh
(1980 - 2021)

Virgil Abloh was regarded as one of the pioneers of high-end street fashion, or what he called the "post-streetwear movement," with roots in the classic streetwear that originated in hip-hop and skating culture (Davis, D.). Louis Vuitton named Abloh its artistic director for menswear in 2018. This made him the first Black American to lead a French one (Davis, D.). He was the founder of Off-White, one of the top luxury streetwear brands in the world. Aside from its own collections, the brand and Abloh collaborated with furniture store Ikea, water company Evian, luggage brand Rimowa, Jimmy Choo, Sunglass Hut, and even McDonald's. He worked alongside Kanye West to design both album cover art and merchandise for the singer/rapper (Davis, W.).