Virgil Abloh (Rockford, IL 1980) is an architect, engineer, creative director, and designer. After earning a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison, he completed a Master´s degree in Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. It was here that he learned not only about design principles but also about the concept of collaborative working. He studied a curriculum devised by Mies van der Rohe on a campus van der Rohe had designed. After completing his degree, Abloh soon took on the role as a creative director for Kanye West and for West´s creative think tank “Donda“.
Throughout Virgil Abloh’s career, he has received numerous awards in the realms of art and design. Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™ began in 2012 as an art project titled PYREX VISION. In 2013, Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™ was introduced as a seasonal men’s and women’s fashion brand, which has grown to include the production of furniture designed by Abloh. In 2015, Off-White™ was one of eight finalists for the LVMH Prize in Paris. In 2016, he was inducted into the BOF 500 “The People Shaping The Global Fashion Industry” List. In the same year, he was one of five nominees for the category of International Urban Luxury Brand at The British Fashion Awards. In 2017, Abloh was one of five nominees for the category of Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent at The CFDA Awards. Additionally, in 2017, Abloh was selected as a special guest to show his Spring Summer 2018 Men’s OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH™ Collection in Florence, Italy during Pitti Immagine Uomo 92. In 2019, Abloh’s work will be the subject of a focused retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, where he will show new work alongside previously unseen works from his past.
