Making Virgil Abloh

Making

WBEZ Chicago

Society & Culture

4.6 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 19 October 2023

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Virgil Abloh changed fashion in the 21st century. His brand Off-White redefined streetwear and youth culture for a notoriously elite and inaccessible industry. And he broke barriers to become the first Black artistic director at a French luxury fashion house. “His whole career is dedicated to opening up the gate for everyone,” said Marc Moran, his long-time friend and collaborator. “And I think that’s what made him such a force to reckon with.” Virgil Abloh passed away from cancer on November 28, 2021 at the age of 41, leaving behind a sprawling legacy. But before he took over an industry, he was a quiet and humble suburban kid who loved soccer, skateboarding, T-shirts and turntables. This week on Making, host Brandon Pope talks with Abloh’s family, friends, critics and collaborators – including his father, his high school soccer coach and the head of British Vogue – to look back at the life of a Chicago icon. Making tells the story of a different, iconic figure every episode. Subscribe now.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Everybody loved Virgil. I don't know if there was anybody that didn't like Virgil.
0:08.0	His whole message is like his whole career is dedicated to like opening up the gate for everyone.
0:14.0	He had the audacity to essentially put himself into this idea of the American dream
0:21.0	and say that it's more valuable now because of my presence.
0:25.0	And the response was that people said, yeah, you're right.
0:32.0	From WBEZ Chicago, this is Making. I'm Brandon Pope.
0:38.0	Today, making Virgil Ablo.
0:42.0	Virgil Ablo was a fashion pioneer.
0:45.0	He redefined the words streetwear and luxury in the highest echelons of society.
0:51.0	He climbed the ranks to become the first black person to be an artistic director at a French luxury house.
0:58.0	The process and the end product are equally invaluable.
1:02.0	I embrace imperfection as much as I embrace the pursuit of perfection.
1:06.0	And as a result, he entered an elitist and exclusionary world and blew open the doors.
1:12.0	If anyone rejected the idea of like an elite fashion world, it was him.
1:18.0	He completely rejected that notion that fashion had to be an exclusive and closed world.
1:25.0	His life was tragically cut short at 41 from cancer with so much more left to do.
1:32.0	Life is so short, you can't waste even a day subscribing to what someone thinks you can do versus knowing what you can do.
1:40.0	On today's episode, we look back at the life of a hometown hero.
1:45.0	How do you work your way into one of the world's least accessible industries and then turn it on its head all while uplifting a new generation?
1:54.0	What were the years that defined Virgil Ablo?
1:58.0	I was given this opportunity to open doors. That's why my job simply isn't just to design clothes.
2:04.0	It's to lead by example, if I'm going to be the first, it's the younger generation that's going to carry the torch.
	...

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