Boiling Point
Essential Homme|August/September 2017

Off-white’s Virgil Abloh Exhibits His Most Important Show at Pitti Uomo 92 in Florence, Italy.

Joshua Glass
Boiling Point

IN A POSH TRATTORIA BLOCKS from the Duomo, Virgil Abloh is sunken back into his chair discussing art history. It’s a sweltering Florentine summer day and, surrounded by families of tourists and college kids abroad, the American fashion designer is hours away from his most large scale project yet: a runway-slash-art-show in collaboration with Jenny Holzer for his guest appearance at Pitti Uomo.

The two had connected earlier in the year after Abloh, 36, reached out via cold call. To his surprise, not only did Holzer, 67, write him back, but she also knew of his work. Off-White, what began as the designer’s T-shirt concept in 2014, had by then become a full-fledged fashion line catapulted by his dual fascination with everyday cool—skateboarding, hip-hop, and streetwear—and the eschewed fine arts. Abloh, who received his Masters of architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology and undergraduate degree in civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison years before collaborating with Kanye West, has in fact always championed this idea of democratizing culture. The German modernist Ludwig Mies van der Rohee, who designed the campus of Abloh’s graduate alma mater, informed the designer’s clean aesthetic, while contemporary forces like Tom Sachs, Vanessa Beecroft, and Takashi Murakami backdate his creative portfolio.

This story is from the August/September 2017 edition of Essential Homme.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August/September 2017 edition of Essential Homme.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM ESSENTIAL HOMMEView All
SCENT SELECTION
Essential Homme

SCENT SELECTION

Since its first fragrance launched in 1981, Versace has released an extensive catalog of tantalizing scents that provide a vibrant sensory component to the designer’s extravagant clothing.

time-read
1 min  |
Spring 2020
SOLE PATROL
Essential Homme

SOLE PATROL

Proenza Schouler designer duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez returned to New York for Spring/Summer 2020 after a brief stint in Paris with a fresh collaboration.

time-read
1 min  |
Spring 2020
THE ART OF SEXY
Essential Homme

THE ART OF SEXY

Fernando Garcia, co-creative director at both Monse and Oscar de la Renta, designs for two industry opposites.

time-read
3 mins  |
Spring 2020
DELUXE EDITION
Essential Homme

DELUXE EDITION

The first release of the Prada for Adidas Limited Edition partnership is emblematic of the connection between the two ubiquitous brands.

time-read
1 min  |
Spring 2020
AMERICAN POP STORY
Essential Homme

AMERICAN POP STORY

It’s no secret that Coach’s creative director Stuart Vevers is obsessed with America.

time-read
1 min  |
Spring 2020
A CHANGE OF PACE
Essential Homme

A CHANGE OF PACE

With the release of The Slow Rush, Kevin Parker continues his meteoric rise.

time-read
5 mins  |
Spring 2020
PACK YOUR BAGS
Essential Homme

PACK YOUR BAGS

A number of Louis Vuitton classics, including the Keepall bag and Horizon luggage, have been updated in the latest Taigarama collection.

time-read
1 min  |
Spring 2020
Shots Of Versace
Essential Homme

Shots Of Versace

How photographer Doug Ordway became instrumental in developing Versace’s opulent image.

time-read
4 mins  |
Spring 2020
LE RÉEL MERVEILLEUX
Essential Homme

LE RÉEL MERVEILLEUX

Jean-Michel Othoniel instills his work with sensory revelations plucked from the real world.

time-read
4 mins  |
Spring 2020
The King Of Knitwear
Essential Homme

The King Of Knitwear

John Targon is doing it all again.

time-read
3 mins  |
Winter 2019