5 things you need to know about Louis Vuitton’s new Men’s Artistic Director, Virgil Abloh

By
Irene Amesimeku
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I once shared a desk with a Graphic Designer in my office, and we would spend few minutes after lunch designing what we thought would be the next Virgil Abloh’s OFF-WHITE in Accra. We were not even looking at capturing the entire Accra; we were just looking at consciously fashionable millennial who are trying to look good in minimal outfits on budget. We followed Virgil Abloh on every social media platform like deranged stalkers. We could predict what he would wear.  So, you should know what Virgil Abloh’s appointment means to us – it means more to him than me. My friend went the extra mile to create this minimal congratulatory piece. The luxury brand broke this historic news with a tweet; “Louis Vuitton is delighted to welcome Virgil Abloh as its new Men’s Artistic Director”, making him the first African – American (accurately, Ghanaian – American) designer to occupy this influential position.

This is why the announcement was a big deal to Ghanaians all over the world. In a Vogue statement, Virgil Abloh said; “It is an honor for me to accept this position. I find the heritage and creative integrity of the house are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times.” If you are just catching up on this entire Virgil Abloh wave, for starters, these are a few things you should know about the fashion giant. OFF – WHITE LABEL Virgil Abloh was winning at Street Fashion with his Off-White label which has an urban edge. With his eagle eye for fashion, and his ability to seamlessly merge street culture with high fashion, Louis Vuitton is about to be the first fashion stop for the fashion forward millennial. However, he will continue to work on his Off-White label. A DJ Fashion has always moved with Music, and it is no surprise that Virgil Abloh is a DJ. He just doesn’t know his way around body types, fabrics and patterns, he also knows his way around the turntables. He’s an international DJ who has spun records in enviable places all over the globe. EDUCATION OUTSIDE FASHION He is an icon, an inspiration, and a role model to young creatives all over the world. I’m sure if you met Virgil Abloh, he’ll tell you to stay in school. He graduated with a Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and got his Master’s in Architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology. [caption id="attachment_79297" align="alignnone" width="600"] American creative designer, DJ, and the founder of the Milan-based fashion label Off-White Virgil Abloh (left) speaks in Gund Hall at Harvard Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer[/caption] GRAMMY AWARDS NOMINEE Virgil Abloh is a 2011 Grammy Awards Nominee. He was nominated for his work on Jay Z and Kanye West’s joint album “Watch the Throne”. He got the nod for best recording package. FIRST GENERATION GHANAIAN – AMERICAN Have I already mentioned that Virgil Abloh is first generation Ghanaian – American? His first show as Louis Vuitton Menswear Artistic Director will take place in June during the Men’s Fashion Week in Paris, and we believe every single look will be a lifestyle, a concept and a mood board for eternity…and we are here for it. We are ready!!! By Joewackle J. Kusi| 3news.com| Ghana          ]]>