Virgil Abloh: Artwork
Prestel Publishing
Louis Vuitton’s creative director Virgil Abloh is a phenomenon by any standard. A phenomenon beyond hype and marketing. Abloh’s creative output seems boundless and is unleashed in an unparalleled abundance, with most of his emissions being sold out immediately.
Opulently illustrated with close to two thousand photos and illustrations of his fashion and further underpinned by a large number of essays that explore not only the status quo but how it all fits into the canon of art history, streetwear and the significance race plays.
The book complements a recent exhibition (“Figures of Speech”) and does not only zero in on the man but examines his collaborations, influences and how what seems to be straight forward on the surface is informed by a melange of disciplines that under his orchestration masterfully interact.
Luminaries from the realms of design, art, architecture and fashion are given a voice to comment on his output and the fact that never-before-seen early footage is unearthed, paint a more comprehensive and multi-faceted picture and a fare deeper breadth than what his trademark Off-White, NikeLab and other collections might suggest.
The curation of the book and the attention to detail alone makes this tome more than a mere adornment for the coffee table, no matter what your sentiments about Virgil Abloh might be.
The book is testament to the fact that Abloh is much more than a fashion designer but a visionary, genre bending and cutting-edge leader in diversity whose newness is backed by a curriculum vitae spiked with experiences that run the gamut of fashions and all facets of design – from interior to graphic. It is interesting to see where his copycat and reappropriating approach is derived from and how he manages to forge new subcultural identities.
No matter if you are a streetwear aficionado or which spectrum between art and commerce you place yourself at, there is no denying that there is more to his work than hypebeast-ianism.
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Image from Prestel website
