Virgil Abloh rose through the ranks of the fashion industry to become a renowned designer, despite starting his career with a degree in civil engineering. He got his start working with Kanye West in the mid-2000s and went on to art direct West's album "Watch the Throne." In 2012, Abloh launched his own streetwear brand called Pyrex Vision and found success modifying and reselling Ralph Lauren flannel shirts. He then founded the high-end label Off-White and showed collections at Paris Fashion Week, cementing his influence before his untimely death in 2021 at age 41.

1. HOW VIRGIL
ABLOAH KANYE
WEST APPRENTICE
SURPASSED HIS
MENTOR

2. MAKE SURE TO
SAVE IT BEFORE
YOU BEGIN

3. IN 2007, THE FOUNDER OF POPULAR
FASHION BRAND OFF-WHITE AND THE
MEN'S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT LOUIS
VUITTON VIRGIL ABLOAH SAID TO
BRILLIANCE, “I AM ALL ABOUT
CHAMPIONING THIS NEW ERA OF
DESIGNERS BECOMING THE NEW
ROCK STARS.”

4. AND WHEN WE LOOK BACK, VIRGIL ABLOH
HAD RISEN THROUGH THE PAINSTAKING
RANKS OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY AND
DONE EXACTLY THAT.
AND EVEN AFTER PASSING ON NOVEMBER
28 OF 2021, FROM CARDIAC
ANGIOSARCOMA, A RARE FORM OF
CANCER, HIS LEGACY STILL LIVES ON.

5. ABLOH WAS BORN ON SEPTEMBER 30 1980
OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO AND WAS RAISED BY
GHANAIAN PARENTS. HE AND HIS SISTER
WERE RAISED IN NEARBY ROCKFORD
WHERE VIRGIL ATTENDED THE BOYLAN
CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADUATED
IN 1998. HIS MOTHER WAS A SEAMSTRESS
AND TAUGHT VIRGIL THE TRICKS OF HER
TRADE.

6. HE WAS OBSESSED WITH FASHION, ART
AND DESIGN FROM A YOUNG AGE AND SO
IN 2002, HE COMPLETED COLLEGE WITH A
DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON.
SOON AFTER, HE WAS OFFICIALLY
WORKING WITH KANYE WEST.

7. IN ROME IN 2009, ABLOH AND WEST
BECAME INTERNS AT FENDI WHERE LOUIS
VUITTON CEO RECALLS THEM BEING
DISRUPTIVE IN THE BEST WAYS.
AND IN 2010, ABLOH OFFICIALLY ASSUMED
THE ROLE OF CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT
DONDA, WEST’S CREATIVE AGENCY.

8. HIS NAME WAS FAST RISING BECAUSE THE
FOLLOWING YEAR (2011) ABLOH ART
DIRECTED THE ALBUM WATCH THE THRONE BY
JAY-Z AND WEST, AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT
EARNED HIM A GRAMMY NOMINATION. THE
ALBUM COVER WAS DESIGNED BY RICCARDO
TISCI, THEN THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF
GIVENCHY, A ROLE ABLOH WAS RUMORED TO
BE UP FOR AFTER TISCI’S DEPARTURE IN 2017.

9. AND FINALLY, IN 2012, ABLOH BEGAN TO
MAKE HIS OWN MOVES AND LAUNCHED
HIS FIRST BRAND, PYREX VISION, IN NEW
YORK.
WELL THIS MOVE WAS SUCCESSFUL AND
QUITE SIMPLE. ALL HE DID WAS PURCHASE
DEADSTOCK RALPH LAUREN FLANNEL
SHIRTS FOR UNDER $50, AND SCREEN
PRINTED THEM WITH THE WORD PYREX AND
THE NUMBER 23, WHICH WAS IN HONOR
OF MICHAEL JORDAN THEN SOLD FOR $550
EACH.

10. AND IN 2014, HE OPENED A WOMENSWEAR
LINE FOR OFF-WHITE AND BEGAN
SHOWING HIS MEN’S AND WOMEN’S
COLLECTIONS DURING PARIS FASHION
WEEK.
AND EVEN IN HIS DEATH, VIRGIL HAS
DISRUPTED THE FASHION WORLD WITH HIS
UNIQUE TASTE AND EXPRESSION OF IDEAS.