Virgil Abloh On The Moment That Brought Him To Louis Vuitton
I found it very difficult to approach writing this story for someone so exceedingly self-aware of his position in our current culture that delivers eloquent lectures, holds panel discussions that clearly outline his approach to design, and is able to describe his work in the context of preexisting and current culture. In plain words, Virgil is hyper-conscious of all that he is doing and why it’s effectively met with high praise. For weeks I hopped from cafe to cafe, hoping the change of scenery would inspire me, but I was stuck. Growing up an admitted “hypebeast,” attempting to comment upon Virgil’s achievements in the past year – the countless ways he has impacted this culture I’ve grown up on – seemed to be a task for which I felt slightly under-qualified. But on this fated Sunday morning, days before deadline, it came rushing to me. I tumbled out of the shower, grabbed my iPhone off the edge of sink, and frantically mashed away on the Notes app – all the while soaking wet, dripping still-soapy water on the bathroom tiles.Virgil is not this design god that the world thinks he is – at least, he doesn’t think he is. He thinks he’s just a messenger in the grand scheme of things, an assistant participating within a larger movement. Maybe it’s because of his 3% rule: never taking a design more than 3% from its original form. He doesn’t have to – he’s fine with leaving a design the way it is and has a healthy respect for the beauty of something in its pure form. Much in the same vein, we don’t need to fit his story into some grand-notion journalistic endeavor – his story tells itself, and we’re simply taking our due turn in being the assistant. Read more at Hypebeast.
