Virgil Abloh
By the time he celebrated his 40th birthday, Virgil Abloh had, seemingly, triumphed in every corner of the fashion and home design worlds.
In 2013, having already worked for Fendi and partnered with Kanye West, he founded the Milan-based streetwear house Off-White. Four years later, he released the first Off-White furniture line, Grey Area. In 2018, he became the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear division, making him one of the first Black designers to head a French luxury fashion house.
Yet even with the Off-White and LV jobs, Abloh had time for a seemingly endless list of collaborations: designing shoes for Nike and Jimmy Choo, making furniture for Vitra and Ikea (“a super-dream project”), creating art with Takashi Murakami and Jenny Holzer, dressing Serena Williams and Beyoncé, co-branding with Levi’s and Evian, deejaying at Coachella and Lollapalooza.
Abloh's process was incredibly innovative — he explained that if he was inspired by an object, he didn’t want to alter it any more than necessary. “I’m only interested in editing an idea or a concept by three percent,” he said. Not surprisingly, he flirted with the limits of permissible appropriation. His first clothing line consisted of flannel Ralph Lauren shirts on which he printed the word “Pyrex.”
And his collaboration with Vitra included a version of Jean Prouvé’s Antony chair that has Plexiglass where Prouvé used plywood. In 2017, the Belgian designer Raf Simons told GQ that Abloh’s work was unoriginal. A month later, Abloh presented an Off-White collection cheekily titled Nothing New.
Browse vintage Virgil Abloh coats, shirts and other clothing and fashion accessories on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Virgil Abloh
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Virgil Abloh
2010s French Virgil Abloh
2010s French Virgil Abloh
2010s French Virgil Abloh
2010s Italian Virgil Abloh
2010s Italian Virgil Abloh
2010s Virgil Abloh
Designers Similar to Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh fashion for sale on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 22, 2024Virgil Abloh owned a portion of the brand Off-White when he died in 2021. He founded the brand in 2013, but it was owned by the company New Guards Group. Jos� Neves purchased Off-White in 2019, and then in early 2021, LVMH Mo�t Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Abloh teamed up to buy it. Under the terms of the deal, LVMH owned 60% of the brand, and Abloh owned the remaining 40%. On 1stDibs, explore a collection of Off-White apparel and accessories.
- Was Virgil Abloh an artist?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024Yes, Virgil Abloh was an artist. Although he was best known for his work as a fashion designer and for Off-White, his celebrated fashion label, Abloh also produced videos, sculptures, installations and prints over the course of his life. In 2019, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted an exhibition of his work entitled Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech. On 1stDibs, find a range of Virgil Abloh apparel and accessories.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023Louis Vuitton x Virgil Abloh sneakers and bags may be available from Louis Vuitton directly as well as through multiple retailers. For physical store locations, consult the brand’s website. Gently used versions of Louis Vuitton x Virgil Abloh sneakers and bags are available for purchase through multiple platforms, including 1stDibs. It is important to purchase from a vetted seller or vendor of this particular product to ensure authenticity. While it is true that the Louis Vuitton x Virgil Abloh collaboration has at times inspired knockoffs, the experienced specialists at 1stDibs have partnered with only top-vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer-protection guarantee.