Virgil Abloh and the Off-White x Nike Collaboration

Virgil Abloh is a giant of the fashion world and sneaker culture – the man behind Off-White and, of course, the Off-White x Nike collaboration. What do you need to know about his story? And why does every sneakerhead hold him in such huge respect?

Virgil Abloh

For sneakerheads, knowing who he is counts as basic general knowledge. When it comes to sneakers, plenty of people don't think of Michael Jordan – they think of him. And the older the person you ask, the less likely they are to know him. So who are we talking about? 💁‍♂️

Yes, it's Virgil Abloh, the fashion world's undisputed icon. The late founder and CEO of Off-White, and former artistic director at Louis Vuitton. The grandmaster of blending high fashion with streetwear. A legend. 🙏

Off-White

Virgil Abloh worked his way up the fashion industry ladder before finally launching the Off-White label in 2012. Off-White pieces carried his signature style, which by then had basically become his trademark: distinctive zips, quality materials and familiar street pieces in a one-of-a-kind combination.

Success didn't take long. By 2014, Abloh had access to every top designer and fashion industry boss. Off-White became one of the most popular labels around. 🤩

The Off-White x Nike collaboration

It was the Nike and Off-White collaboration that made Virgil Abloh a star in the eyes of sneakerheads.

The story began in 2017, with the birth of The Ten collection – one of the most sought-after sneaker collections of all time. Legend has it that Abloh didn't design the pairs sitting at a desk, but with his own hands, cutting and slashing away. He used knives and cable ties to create the perfect designs. That's how the first Off-White x Nike series came about, in which 10 classic sneaker silhouettes were reimagined. 👟

A year later, Abloh became artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton. The news blew the industry apart (and that's putting it mildly). It was written about everywhere, and every public figure was talking about it.

You can guess the rest of the story from here: everything Abloh touched turned to gold (well, not literally)! Every sneaker born from his Nike collab was massively popular from the moment it dropped. 😍

Virgil Abloh's death

Then, at the end of 2021, far sadder news shook the world. Virgil Abloh died at the age of 41 – the cause was a very rare cancer affecting the heart.

Abloh fought the illness privately, keeping his treatments hidden from the public. He worked right up to the very end: even in the last years of his life, he turned out countless Off-White x Nike collabs, which always drew huge interest – but after the tragic news, that interest multiplied even further.

Demand for everything linked to him shot through the roof. For example, the resale price of the Off-White Air Jordan 1 Chicago doubled just a few hours after news of his death broke. And the price of the Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White Chicago also jumped by 100% on one resale platform. If nothing else, this makes one thing clear: Abloh's legacy will last.

Many feel that sellers are cashing in on Abloh's death, and that the ethical thing would be to stop selling products tied to his name.

Others argue that the pairs selling at these prices is a sign of respect for the designer. And some sellers donated part of the money they made to charity.

What do you think? Who's right: the resellers or their critics?

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