Virgil Abloh
(1980-2021)
We had our first proper meeting with Virgil Abloh in the spring of 2017. By then, his Off-White label had really begun to capture both the hearts of streetwear fans and the attention of the fashion industry, even though it felt like the industry jury was still out on whether or not Virgil represented what a designer should be.
Having studied architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Virgil had long been an admirer of Rem Koolhaas. So he was beyond excited by our proposal that the two of them meet, along with arts curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, to record a conversation for our upcoming issue. Koolhaas was neither aware nor cared about fashion-industry snobbery, and was openly impressed by Virgil’s back story, point of view, infectious energy, and the scale of business Off-White had already achieved.
By the time we completed System’s Autumn-Winter 2017 issue, Virgil had become its cover star, the subject of multiple interviews, an industry-wide survey, and the initiator (and focus) of an additional 70-page print booklet. Along the way, his legendary appetite for work had revealed itself to us, as had his deep curiosity and natural role as a cultural catalyst. Putting him on the cover felt particularly exciting because of his genuine outsider status. Virgil knew that, and took pleasure in the fact he was opening hitherto closed doors, shifting perceptions, inspiring others. He was also just a really nice man; there wasn’t a cynical bone in him.
A short time after the publication of our issue, Virgil came over to London for a System-signing session at Shreeji, our local newsagents. Fans started queuing at 6am on what was a bitterly cold December morning, and by the time he arrived, fresh off the plane, Chiltern Street was awash with kids in hoodies. You didn’t need to be a trend forecaster to understand what was happening. Virgil had galvanized a movement from outside the industry, drawing young people into an entirely new version of ‘high fashion’, while making seasoned insiders more aware of what new generations wanted. Three months later, he was appointed menswear designer at Louis Vuitton.
In the Uber ride after the chaotic signing event (he had stayed almost three hours and had chatted with everyone who’d queued) Virgil had a quiet moment to reflect on one final question from System. How did all that make him feel? The queues of fans. The endless autographs and selfies. The constant requests for career advice. ‘When you’re lucky enough to get a ride up to the penthouse,’ he replied, ‘it’s your duty to send the elevator back down. You’re only as good as your next generation.’
Today, as we reflect on Virgil Abloh’s passing – at such an early age, and with so much still to achieve – the fashion industry does indeed feel like a profoundly different place. One suspects a generation of Virgil fans are already on their way up to the penthouse to ensure his legacy. R.I.P. V.A.