Virgil, an American fashion designer and entrepreneur sparked the lives of millions; including myself with the inspiration and commitment behind my brand Evol Angelz.
Virgil was born September 30, 1980 in Rockford, Illinois and later went on to become an American designer and entrepreneur who was perhaps best known as the founder of the fashion label Off-White and the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear. He often took existing ideas from a range of sources, including music, history, and architecture, and made them his own, comparing himself to music artists who sampled from other musicians’ songs for their own work.
The son of a seamstress, his mother taught him how to use a sewing machine and other basics. Virgil would go on to graduate with a degree in civil engineering from the U of W at Madison, and subsequently receiving a masters in architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago. He was often involved in a number of different projects, including working as a DJ, designing T-shirts, and writing. Sometime between earning his degrees, he was introduced to Kanye West who was gaining attention for his work as a music producer, and Abloh was hired to be a part of West’s creative team in 2007.
Abloh created his first fashion label, Pyrex Vision, in 2012. An example from the collection included flannel shirts from Ralph Lauren that were screen-printed with the word Pyrex, a type of bakeware used to cook cocaine, and the number 23, Michael Jordan's jersey number when he was in the NBA. The references alluded to the only two economic paths Virgil believed a Black man could take: selling drugs or playing professional sports. In 2013 he shuttered Pyrex Vision and started Off-White, his personal brand characterized as “the gray area between black and white,” a description that was befitting for a label that seemingly hovered between streetwear and luxury fashion. The debut menswear collection featured screen-printed hoodies, denim shirts, anoraks, basketball shorts, and similar garments favored by youth culture.
In 2018 Virgil was named artistic director of Louis Vuitton (LV) menswear, becoming the first person of color to hold the position. Abloh seemingly reached the height of his career in 2021 when the LVMH luxury group, which owns Louis Vuitton, announced that it had acquired a majority stake in Off-White and had expanded Virgil's role across its brands, which include wines and spirits and hospitality. Only a few months later, however, news broke of his death at age 41, shocking fans and the fashion world.