Abloh tribute and a Work in Progress
Before he died at the age of 41 in November 2021, Virgil Abloh had been working on a book for several years about his process and practice, together with Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, the founder and editor-in-chief of Paris-based academic fashion publication Vestoj.
One World will publish Work in Progress posthumously, taking the book’s title from a phrase the late founder and CEO of Off-White used to describe his [work] process.
“My investigation, my work, my trajectory speak, I hope, to a generation of young black people who need to know that there’s an open space for them to occupy too. But it’s a work in progress,” Abloh said in an interview Vestoj published a month after he succumbed to angiosarcoma, a rare, aggressive form of cancer. He had been diagnosed in 2019.
One World, a Penguin Random House imprint, announced its intention to Vogue last year but has not set a publication date for the book, “a hybrid work that combines cultural criticism, theory, art and personal narrative”.
Aronowsky Cronberg said the book will be based on conversations she had with Abloh about his “process and ‘logic’, ideas central to his practice: irony and earnestness, hybridity, paradox, the value of originality and the policing of ‘good’ taste”.
At the time of his death, Abloh, who often spoke about his belief that art has the power to inspire future generations, was the men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton, the first African American to lead the French luxury label, from 2018, after succeeding Kim Jones.
For those who cannot wait until Work in Progress sees print, there is Louis Vuitton: Virgil Abloh, the first book to be released since the death of the fashion visionary who was also an architect, engineer, deejay and musician.
Written by Anders Christian Madsen and released last September, it captures the relationship between him and the maison and how, together, they broke boundaries and used menswear to draw attention to Black culture and Black talent.
The limited-edition book has more than 320 images from Abloh’s time at the maison. It is a salute to his life, influence and career as he pushed for change through his designs.
There are quotes from the man himself and personal reflections by close friends, among them Kendall Jenner, Luka Sabbat, Kid Cudi and Nigo. A complete catalogue of sneakers by the designer who reimagined 10 of Nike’s top sneakers in 2016 is included in this 359-page tribute.
This son of Ghanaian immigrants collaborated with many brands, wowing fans by merging streetwear with high fashion and winning followers by using Off-White to help communities in need.
Louis Vuitton: Virgil Abloh is published by Assouline and available in two collectible covers. One cover features a cartoon artwork by artist Reggieknow who illustrated Abloh’s SS21 menswear show. The other shows the emblematic red balloon that flew across Louis Vuitton’s SS22 spinoff show in Miami, the last one designed by the icon.
Assouline was founded in Paris in 1994 by Prosper and Martine Assouline, for whom “books are a matter of intellect and emotion, of heritage and innovation”. Led by an eye for visually rich stories and compelling narratives, they aim to create a new, contemporary style of book. The pair also offer a curated library service whereby they work with clients to visualise, design and develop bespoke, one-of-a-kind libraries.