A year after his sudden passing, we look back at Virgil Abloh’s knack for collaboration, which has resulted in memorable pieces of art throughout the years
At this point, it’s impossible to not know who Virgil Abloh is. Whether it’s him as the Off-White founder or Louis Vuitton’s former menswear Artistic Director, the man just commanded attention wherever he went. It goes without saying that he was a true creative visionary.
But on top of this, Abloh was one to collaborate.
He was one to share his art with his peers or other brands that have, more often than not, received well-deserved acclaim. While being a lone wolf can get you places, it is through Virgil Abloh’s preference that we see the beauty that can be made through collaboration.
One year after his passing, we look back at some of his best collaborative pieces and partnerships throughout his career.
Off-White x Nike “The 10”
Arguably his most recognizable collaboration, 2017 saw Virgil Abloh link up with Nike to deconstruct 10 iconic silhouettes from Nike, Jordan, and Converse. The end results were two categories: Revealing and Ghosting.
Pairs under Revealing were made to look reconstructed and hand-built. Ghosting, on the other hand, opted for translucent uppers and a more uniform look. Both categories featured signature Off-White details, namely their bold black quotation mark lettering.
Virgil Abloh x Takashi Murakami
A best of both worlds collaboration. Throughout 2018, the two artists collaborated on three exhibits. These were Future History, Technicolor 2, and America Too. All three were shown in three separate Gagosian Art Galleries—Future History in London, Technicolor 2 in Paris, then America Too in Los Angeles.
Without going into technicalities, the collaboration was predominantly a mash-up of Murakami’s iconic characters and Abloh’s known Off-White motifs.
Virgil Abloh x Mercedes-Benz
Abloh linked up in 2020 with Mercedes-Benz for Project Geländewagen. Simply put, it was a conceptual version of the automotive maker’s G-Wagon. Along with Mercedes’ Chief Design Officer, Gordon Wagener, the model was re-imagined into a racecar version of itself.
However, it didn’t stop here. Shortly after Abloh’s death, Mercedes unveiled Project Maybach, a battery-powered off-roader concept vehicle also made by the duo. Most recently, it was featured by Canadian rapper Drake in a music video.
Virgil Abloh x Kanye West
Long before he became an icon, Abloh was already a creative mind for Kanye West. Notably, he had been the art director for some of West’s acclaimed albums in the 2010s.
Works such as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), the West x Jay-Z collab Watch the Throne (2011), and Yeezus (2013) all had their iconic covers under him. Especially for Watch the Throne, the Riccardo Tisci-designed cover was good enough to be Grammy-nominated.
Off-White x IKEA
Called “Markerad,” which means “marked” in Swedish, Virgil Abloh’s pairing with IKEA featured furniture mixed with Off-White’s signature minimalist branding. Pieces such as chairs, rugs, tables, and a wall clock were included in the collection, while other essentials such as a tote bag and a toolbox were also there.
Louis Vuitton x NBA
Under the Virgil Abloh era, Louis Vuitton saw itself in a three-year partnership with the NBA. Save for the solely travel-inspired third capsule, the collaboration attempted to copy professional basketball player fashion by combining the philosophies of both brands. On top of the outfits and accessories were leather goods. All the more for the third and final iteration, which focused only on bags, trunks, and other practical goods.
Off-White x The Louvre
While it may not be as revered as other works, even the Louvre had gotten involved with Virgil Abloh for Off-White. To commemorate Leonardo da Vinci’s 500-year death anniversary, they released a capsule to celebrate the artist’s life and works. Pieces here featured da Vinci’s renowned pieces mixed up with Off-White branding motifs, namely, its arrow logo.
Louis Vuitton x Nigo
Abloh’s first collaboration under Louis Vuitton was with Japanese streetwear legend Nigo. The result was two drops that featured ready-to-wear accessories and functional pieces with an East meets West, streetwear meets high fashion design philosophy.
Off-White x RIMOWA
Another collaboration born in 2018 consisted of a mix of complementary philosophies. For the summer-spring drop, it was a simple, transparent polycarbonate-made briefcase. But for Fall-Winter, RIMOWA saw its products adorned with Off-White branding. This drop in particular saw more variety, with both transparent polycarbonate and aluminum builds being present in the mix.
Featured Image from VIRGIL ABLOH (via Instagram)
