What was Virgil Abloh's role at Louis Vuitton?

Artistic director of menswear from 2018 until his death in 2021, the first Black American in the role.

What did Virgil Abloh study?

Civil engineering, then a master's degree in architecture.

The fashion label he founded in 2013, known for bringing streetwear language into luxury.

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Virgil Abloh

Designer, founder of Off-White, Louis Vuitton menswear artistic director · 1980 to 2021

VA

BORN: 1980
DIED: 2021
ERA: 2009 to 2021
KNOWN FOR: Designer, founder of Off-White, Louis Vuitton menswear artistic director

§ THE SHORT VERSION

Virgil Abloh, born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1980, founded the fashion label Off-White and in 2018 became the first Black American artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton. Trained as an architect, he died of cancer in 2021 at forty-one.

Born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1980 to Ghanaian parents. Trained as a civil engineer and an architect before he ever designed a garment.

Highlights.

01

Founded Off-White (2013)

02

Artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton (2018 to 2021)

03

First Black American to lead Louis Vuitton menswear

04

Established the Post-Modern scholarship fund

The portraits.

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§ QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK

What was Virgil Abloh's role at Louis Vuitton?: Artistic director of menswear from 2018 until his death in 2021, the first Black American in the role.
What did Virgil Abloh study?: Civil engineering, then a master's degree in architecture.
What is Off-White?: The fashion label he founded in 2013, known for bringing streetwear language into luxury.

OFF-WHITE

He founded Off-White in 2013 and made the language of streetwear, the quotation marks and the zip ties, into luxury. He treated a sneaker, a chair and a runway as the same design problem.

LOUIS VUITTON

In 2018 he became artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, the first Black American to hold the role. He died of cancer in 2021 at forty-one, having opened the door wider than anyone thought it went, and set up a scholarship fund so others would walk through it.

The only name in this room so far.