"Sculpture," "logo," "cash inside," at a glance, these terms don't mean much in themselves. And yet, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that these are the "details" that made a difference, permitting Virgil Abloh to cement the reputation of his iconic label, Off-White. Created in 2013, the Italy-based brand carved a place for streetwear in high fashion thanks to its creator's symbolically-rich and utterly original pieces. Having formerly worked with Kanye West Abloh was his creative consultant for several years; the album cover of "Watch the Throne," for example, is his creation this graduate in architecture and civil engineering, DJ in his free time, turned everything he touched to gold. After a brief stint at Fendi in 2009 and a crash course with Louise Wilson, former professor at Central Saint Martins, Abloh struck out to make his design dreams a reality. His first business, Pyrex Vision, was born in 2012. After buying up a stock of Champion USA t-shirts and screen-printing them, he sold each piece for several dozen times its value. The following year, he founded Off-White. The nylon belts, inspired by industrial materials, were a runaway success and sell like hot-cakes to this day. But of course, that's not all. From the beginning, this Chicago-born creator enjoyed a tongue-in-cheek text game emblazoned on his pieces. Minimalist and super-artsy, ironic but totally deadpan, the concept was a hit. With consistently novel collections and the hottest models of the moment, the public was infatuated with Abloh and Off-White. The success didn't stop there, and the label's irreverent style led to a host of collaborations, from Nike to Moncler via IKEA and Jimmy Choo. With Off-White's place in the upper echelons secured, Virgil Abloh took up Creative Direction of menswear at Louis Vuitton in 2018. His passing on November 28, 2021 was a tragedy for his generation, for whom he will remain one of its most iconic creators.
