Welcome to the 116th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we drop into Virgil Abloh’s world, understanding his deeply rooted relationship with skateboarding and street culture.
Before the fame, seemingly unlimited budget, and cult-like following, Virgil Abloh was a skater. Growing up a teenager in the 90’s, he watched as East-Coast hip-hop intertwined with skating, taking part in each step, or rather pump, the journey offered. Inside his hometown of Rockford, Illinois, Abloh would immerse himself in the alternative scene, which would soon become the base of his career’s work.
At the time, skateboarding was regarded as a polarizing contrast to the luxury realm. Louis Vuitton had no business in the streets, their price points were simply too high for the often low-income areas the sport thrived within. The closest thing skateboarding had seen to acceptance from the affluent was a bootleg collaboration between Supreme and LV (2000), which of course, was terminated via cease and desist.
Despite these massive feats, Virgil Abloh refused to shy from his origins. Having bridged the gap between streetwear and luxury through his namesake label, Off-White, he set out to bring a sense of community to the runway. Placed at the helm of Louis Vuitton, Abloh devised a sponsored skateboarding team, enlisting Lucien Clarke to face the new era. Together, they would create “A View”, Louis Vuitton’s first skate shoe in nearly two centuries.
The attitude towards skateboarding quickly shifted as Abloh embraced his adolescent mind. Producing grip tape, boards and accessories alike under his direction, the masses would flock to the trending niche, celebrating his gritty obsession with open arms.
He explained his point of view in a 2021 GQ interview, stating “I feel like I’m ringing the bell for progression of the sport, in an authentic way.” He continued, “If I wasn’t producing a concept in the most authentic way, with the most authentic people, and continuing to break that ceiling, I would look at my career as not successful”
Comments