Vanessa Mensah
Staff Writer
We lost an icon, we lost a true inspiration to our generation, and most of all we lost a role model. Virgil Abloh was the image of success, he was the image of hard work. He showed us that anything was possible; he showed us no matter where you’re from, no matter your background, you can be whatever you want to be, you just have to want it enough for yourself. As for Virgil, he wanted it badly enough. From collaborations with Nike, Levi, Louis Vuitton, Jordan, to his own major designer brand, Off White, he left an indelible mark on the fashion industry.
Sophomore Omaima Ahandour, who hopes to be a designer of the same league as Abloh, said, “He inspired me to be more outgoing with my choice of clothing, and he hasn’t just inspired my clothing — he has inspired my future.”
”His death really affected me; I own 2 of his off-white shirts, but sometimes they can be really expensive.” said sophomore Claudia Ansong. “One day I hope to be part of the fashion industry so I can lessen prices of expensive clothes because everyone deserves to style and a profile for an affordable price.”
Virgil Abloh was born on September 30, 1980, in Rockford, Illinois, to Ghanaian immigrant parents. His mother, Eunice Abloh, was a seamstress. At a young age, she taught young Virgil how to sew. He started learning how to make shirts and hem jeans, and from there discovered his love for clothes.
Virgil attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he started designing commemorative tees for the university. Virgil then went on to show his work to other designers and companies. He ended up catching the attention of Kanye West; shortly after West and Abloh started working with each other and became partners.
A few years later Abloh and West were both selected to intern for Fendi in Rome. Michael Burke recently told The New York Times, “I was really impressed with how Abloh and West brought a whole new vibe to the studio and were disruptive in the best way. Virgil could create a metaphor and a new vocabulary to describe something as old-school as Fendi. I have been following his career ever since.”
