Virgil Abloh, creative genius and director of Louis Vuitton's men's line, passed away prematurely at the age of 41, after a long illness kept secret. The fashion show with which the French fashion house presented its spring-summer 2022 collection was its artistic testament, the last performance of a man who transformed himself into a style icon, giving prestige to fashion with a street flavour.
Eccentric, brilliant, volcanic. For days, in the media around the world, the adjectives with which the big names in fashion and entertainment have chosen to greet Virgil Abloh , a young talent with an already glittering career, have been multiplying and becoming more and more high-sounding. In fact, at just 41 years old , the creative director of Louis Vuitton's men's line lost the battle against a rare form of cancer. Behind him he leaves a long trail of successes and a professional testament which was staged on the occasion of the presentation show of the spring-summer 2022 collection designed by LVMH.
Creative genius and entrepreneurial talent
Born in 1980, of Ghanaian origins, Abloh had a degree in civil engineering and a master's degree in architecture. Design, therefore, was his first passion, which soon merged into the golden world of fashion. What launched him, after his debut in Chicago streetwear , was an internship at Fendi , alongside Kanye West , a close friend and central figure in his life and career. In fact, fruitful forays into the world of music were born from the relationship with the singer-songwriter.
For the young Virgili, the climb to the top of world style was fast and paved with satisfaction. An ever-growing parable, culminating in the creation of his own brand, Off-White , capable of establishing itself, in 2018, after a few years of activity, as the most popular brand in the world , leaving behind names of the caliber of Gucci and Balenciaga. An unexpected but deserved exploit, the result of the innate ability to intercept trends , especially those of the youngest. One step at a time, Abloh pushed himself higher and higher. Again in 2018, Time included him in the list of the 100 most influential people in the world , while the Louis Vuitton fashion house chose him to guide its men's fashion. An assignment that sounded like a true consecration.
The revenge of street fashion
The affection and emotion with which the news of the passing of the American entrepreneur was received throughout the world is therefore no surprise. One thing, however, is certain: despite her young age, her mark on international fashion is there and will remain forever. “ I'm passionate about celebrating diversity .” With these words, Abloh described his work to ArtTribune, managing to condense the profound meaning of his style and artistic research in one sentence: inclusiveness . A commitment which had as its main effects the rediscovery and revaluation of street fashion , therefore of simple clothing but with attention to materials and details , within everyone's reach but refined at the same time. An approach that today also permeates Saveone 's collections, whose lines owe a lot to Abloh's intuitions. Because fashion must abandon the ivory towers and mix in the streets .
