As any enthusiast would know, it takes time to fully immerse yourself in the discipline that captures your imagination. During the mid-2010s, my story with fashion was in its early days. Nevertheless, I was getting familiar with its latest evolutions and developments. 

In a world scared by the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the “hypebeast” movement was gaining attraction, momentum, and growth across all social media platforms. One of the leading names was Off-White, a streetwear brand. This is how I first heard of its founder, Virgil Abloh. For the uninitiated, a “hypebeast” is essentially a person who avidly purchases newly released, trendy and fashionable items to project wealth, acquire social prestige and flex their financial muscles. 

After becoming a well-established figure in the industry, Virgil was appointed as the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear in 2018. His design flair helped the legacy luxury house to conquer the hearts of the new generation by making its creations an object of desire. Having mastered the seemingly impossible transition from Off-White to Louis Vuitton, he gave us some legendary design elements. Far from going unnoticed, he delivered one iconic fashion moment after another. A non-exhaustive list includes the yellow industrial belts with Off-White during Fall/Winter 2016, the epiphany of hypebeast sneakers with “The Ten”, an Off-White X Nike collaboration in 2017, and the introduction of the holographic duffle bag on Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2019 runway. However, the pandemic hit, and fashion took a step back. Simultaneously, Virgil’s health deteriorated, and he wasn’t able to make a comeback like the industry did. 

Today, I am nearly a decade into my fashion observer journey, and needless to say, my knowledge has grown. During that time, I managed to form my own opinion of Virgil Abloh. In the next few lines, I will share with you the valuable lessons I have learned from his impressive life, which can serve as an inspiration for those who want to start a career in the fashion industry and beyond. 

Virgil was a designer who worked across many fields like architecture, engineering, furniture, clothes, footwear and accessories. Moreover, he moonlighted as a DJ, practised great management skills and much more. He had his fingers stuck in many pies. This unorthodox approach allowed him to forge his own path instead of following the beaten track. He showed us that it is completely fine to be defined by several things. He proved that the road to professional success and personal fulfilment is not as linear as we’ve been taught. Acknowledging this reality allows us to grow emotionally and professionally. Embracing and accepting our different areas of interest helps us to enrich our knowledge, shape our beliefs, and create our unique personalities. This is how we navigate life. When we expose ourselves to different things, we see the world in a different way. By having fresh takes, we craft new methods. This is how we move forward. Sadly, societies have been drilled to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach that suppresses any “superfluous” affinities that aren’t deemed necessary for future employment perspectives. 

In 2009, Virgil was an intern at Fendi. Despite his modest pay of 500 USD a month, the aspiring designer was fine-tuning his ideas on how to reconcile streetwear and “traditional” fashion. At the same time, the chatter around the fashion capitals was that the industry needed something new … Little did anybody know that it would be Virgil Abloh. The main takeaway from this story is that patience is the key to success. Most people fail because they crave instant glory and overnight fame. Virgil taught us that concrete results are harnessed over the years. He showed us that we have to believe in our visions and bide our time. A visionary has the advantage of seeing the future that nobody does. Laying the foundations of new ideas requires time, testing, and fine-tuning. Once the world catches up to your vision, you will reap the rewards by crossing the finish line first. 

Abloh was known for always seeking collaboration between brands. That man was able to see opportunities everywhere. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have partnered up with Evian! He proved that for luxury brands to stay relevant, they need to work together. In a world full of global challenges, collaboration is a virtuous value that needs to be promoted in different fields, including fashion. Virgil knew that there was an inherent risk for any partnership to turn into a sour experience, yet he always maximised his chances by sticking to the following: defining the objectives, identifying the added value, comprehending clients’ mindset, standing by the label’s identity, and creating a prosperous working culture fostering creativity.

First and foremost, we should remember that Virgil Abloh was a designer. His success during the “hypebeast” era was not just a flash in the pan. He forged a signature through his designs. For him, clothes were as primordial in shaping identities as art and politics. He can be credited for coming up with a new definition of luxury that was inconceivable a decade ago: “Luxury is in the eye of the beholder. Luxury is personal and subjective. Luxury is coveted. Luxury is what you can’t find anywhere else on the market.”. He shaped a generation’s view of high fashion, forcing traditional fashion houses to follow his moves. Virgil’s strength was his ability to lay out the new generations’ ethos in a way that is relatable to the older generation. He rendered obsolete the labelling of clothes based on their “supposed” function. He blurred the lines and busted old codes. He made sure that every aesthetic is valid. 

Abloh followed the 3% rule, where if you change anything by just 3%, then it is considered new. This approach was loathed by many. It warranted endless criticism of his detractors, who saw him as an uninventive mind. Nevertheless, his reading has some merits. Nowadays, it is hard to come up with mould-breaking innovations in the fashion industry. Legacy and traditional brands have to keep up with fast fashion labels. Therefore, we feel that we have seen it all. A personal creation can easily go unnoticed or fade into anonymity in this setting. Detecting the nuances is what makes the difference. At the end of the day, a special design element can take a piece of garment or accessory to a whole new level. 

A loyal and dedicated community can get you a long way. Abloh always banked on his six and a half million followers on Instagram to sell his designs and, more importantly, to inspire him. Moreover, he treated his digital communities as a potential talent pool. He always scouted for emerging talents and assisted them in showcasing their work by offering them real-world opportunities through his networks, connections, and NGO. Furthermore, he constantly offered free advice on how to launch a fashion brand through his social media accounts. He pushed for social progress within and through the fashion industry. He gave it a new dimension, something that was not lost on the establishment. His wins empower us to bring a breeze of fresh air into our respective fields. Fashion had to change when it came to giving a voice to everyone. A community carries the voice of its members and weighs on the direction that an industry is heading. Use that opportunity to build a new table, shift the conversation, focus on the most pressing issues, promote the most important points, and push for tangible change. 

… and last but not least, remember, the more you embrace the irony that life serves you, the happier you will be!