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Here’s a tribute to Virgil Abloh with 5 times that he saw further to build a timeless legacy to future generations.

Here’s a tribute to Virgil Abloh’s visionary legacy.

There are a few reasons why Virgil Abloh shall live forever.

The Chicago kid didn’t claim himself a designer, but he conquered the world with avant-garde creations, in pursuit of a mission focused on "pathways for greater equality in art and design."

METCHA - Virgil Abloh - visionary legacy - Chicago native designer Virgil Abloh wearing white leather sneakers

Reflecting his own dreams, Virgil saw further to change streetwear & the runways with wise and visionary purposes.

“I’m a dreamer. I think about how my ideas can impact or bring a different voice to the rest of the world.”

By opening doors to people who didn’t believe the design game was for them, he remains a passionate force able to inspire the ones after him.

METCHA - Virgil Abloh - visionary legacy - Chicago native designer Virgil Abloh with a Luis Vuitton leather bag in his head

Here are 5 times when he proved that in the most genuine way.

1 - Virgil reshaped contemporary fashion based on his narrative.

He brought his own perceptions to design the same sneakers he’d grown up wearing, but Abloh didn’t stop there. In less than 10 years, he founded the high-end streetwear brand Off-White, which debuted at Paris Fashion Week ‘15, started a powerful partnership with Nike, and became the Creative Director of Louis Vuitton.

“All I’m trying to do is create things that are indicative of my surroundings and the community that I come from so that more people can do them.”

METCHA - Virgil Abloh - visionary legacy - Chicago native designer Virgil Abloh who created the design of Off-White leather sneakers

2 - He was the first black man to integrate the Maison.

What he did for black culture goes beyond simple words, and his debut in Louis Vuitton was a real turning point. He was only the third black man in history to be part of a French house, which makes the importance of his work even more unquestioned.

With passion and notorious talent, he started to craft a new world, climbing the white and normative hierarchies of the apparel industry.

Rihanna, Kanye West & Kid Cudi were just some of the black faces present during Men’s SS ‘19, praising this historical runway.

Lewis Hamilton, Michael B. Jordan, and our eternal Black Panther Chadwick Boseman were also big enthusiasts of his work and recognized his ability to make us see the industry in a different light.

3 - He leaves the greatest legacy to the world of footwear.

Well-known for cross-collaborations, the creative leaves a timeless footprint on Nike, with which he collaborated from 2016 until his passing, and also in innovative leather uppers with Off-White’s fiery touch that got fresher and fresher every new edition.

He wanted to have sneakers his way and inspired a bunch of other people to do the same, as the 50 takes of Dear Summer Collection incited.

METCHA - Virgil Abloh - visionary legacy - Virgil Abloh lying on the floor wearing Nike leather sneakers

4 - Virgil Abloh was a multi-faceted creative that also left his mark in music.

Virgil was a big name in music, as a DJ and longstanding collaborator of Ye. He worked as the creative director of the agency Donda and also designed Kanye West’s covers, along with exclusive works for Lil Uzi Vert on Luv Is Rage 2, A$AP Rocky on Long.Live.A$AP & others.

5 - After all, he really wanted other black people to follow his steps.

His commitment to the black agenda went beyond representativeness, as he wanted to support the next generations of creatives within the industry through the “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund. In 2019, he raised US$1 million to foster equality and inclusion, allowing young black people to achieve their dreams just as he did.

“I’m here to be an inspiration to kids that were like me, that are like me. That starts and ends my design mission.”

METCHA - Virgil Abloh - visionary legacy - Chicago native designer Virgil Abloh with a Louis Vuitton leather bag in his head

Virgil Abloh blurred the lines between high-end influences and the streets’ voices while challenging the status quo and always pushing artistic boundaries.

For that, we are endlessly grateful.

Rest in power, " VIRGIL ™️".

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