The prolific designer and visionary creative director, Virgil Abloh, is the creator of the Miami Design District’s sculpture, “Dollar A Gallon III,” and founder of Off-White, whose newest location is coming this July to the Miami District.
Above: Design District Magazine cover image by Marie Canciani / courtesy Galerie kreo.
Abloh, who was featured on the Miami Design District Magazine (above) is considered the pioneer of the "post-streetwear movement," a style of clothing that has its roots in skating and hip-hop culture.
Born to Ghanaian immigrant parents, Abloh graduated with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Masters of Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He re-routed his career to focus on fashion when he accepted an internship at Fendi alongside rapper Kanye West, for whom he then served as Artistic Director for the Jay-Z/West album Watch the Throne (2011).
In 2018, Abloh was named artistic director of Louis Vuitton's men's wear collection, making him the Maison’s first black creative director. His runway shows have been praised for increasing diversity.
Virgil Abloh’s “Dollar A Gallon III” was installed in the Miami Design District for Art Basel Miami Beach 2019 in Paseo Pointi, the heart of the Design District. The piece is a take on a classic gasoline sign, advertised under the company “Sunoco,” and the illuminated numbers show the changing prices of gasoline.
Tiffany Chester, the former Miami Design District Cultural Programming Director, describes the piece as, “a window into the artist's study and research of the effect of advertising on the impressionable... its final positioning [in the Miami Design District] implies the concept of commerce and necessity re-packaged as a brand — while underscoring the relevancy via location. Ultimately, the work is a signature of Abloh’s multi-lauded artistic logic emanating in a physical form not limited to any specific medium.”
Abloh has been credited for tearing down the strict boundaries between luxury fashion and streetwear, which has led to numerous collaborations between high and low brands, from Louis Vuitton partnering with Supreme, and his own bespoke collection of crystal glasses for Baccarat.
His contribution to the breakdown of barriers in the fashion industry led him to being named Time’s 100 most influential people in 2018; the article was written by friend and artist, Takashi Murakami, who partnered with Abloh for an art exhibition at Gagosian London.
Abloh has continued to make waves in the fashion and art world and we are excited to see what is next for him and his brands.
