VIRGIL ABLOH’S IMPACT ON SPORT THROUGH FASHION

Image via Off-White

Designer Virgil Abloh has become a pillar within the fashion world. From once being an intern to Kanye West to becoming the artistic director for Louis Vuitton, Abloh’s rise has been nothing but inspiring. In 2007 Abloh on ‘The Brilliance’ blog “I am all about championing this new era of designers becoming the new rock stars” – it’s fair to say that 13 years later Abloh has done exactly that. 

Abloh’s impact on sports can be compared to Allen Iverson’s impact on the NBA. Abloh repeatedly breaks the status quo surrounding sports and athletes. The relationship his brand Off-White has built with Nike has acted as a vessel for fashion and sport to co-habit. Abloh has made his presence felt within a number of sports. What is striking is that he refuses to just allow fashion to live within sport, he also enables sport to live within fashion. During the Off-White SS19 show entitled “Track & Field” the likes of models Bella Hadid and Kristina Grikaite shared the runway with athletes such as Dina Asher-Smith and Vashti Cunningham. Abloh was also behind Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin walking for Louis Vuitton in the SS20 show.

Abloh said “Sport like fashion shares a common language that seeks to unite cultures, break down barriers and celebrate the power of the human spirit”. The unison of these two cultures is incredibly special and will promote the quashing of the stigmas surrounding sport and athletes.