With the passing of incendiary fashion designer Virgil Abloh, we take a look back at his spectacular career
Earlier today, it was announced that Virgil Abloh passed away at 41, after several years of battling cancer in private.
He changed the fashion industry with his singular vision of streetwear as luxury—the same vision that propelled him to the top job of the world’s biggest luxury fashion house, and to become creative collaborators with the likes of Kanye West.
But the industry-acclaimed Virgil Abloh has spent over a decade earning his stripes in the fashion industry—and it’s a tale worth telling.
We take a look at 10 highlights in the rise (and rise) of Virgil Abloh.
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1. 2003: The almost-architect
Abloh received his Masters of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He completed an undergraduate in Civil Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Missing his graduation ceremony, a meeting with Kanye’s then-manager John Monopoly saw Abloh put on the rapper’s payroll, offering his opinion and design skills on merch. Pretty soon, Abloh is given full-fledged artistic direction, encompassing global tours, performances and artwork.
Read more: 5 Minutes With... Virgil Abloh, Founder Of Off-White