Shit, this one is going to be a little harder to write.

My first love letter to an actual person. And not just anyone. But a legend who not only changed fashion but the culture as a whole.

High-School Prom 2023

Since I was 11, Virgil had to be mentioned in any conversation I had.

My lockscreen on my phone.

Posters in my childhood bedroom.

An Off- White leather tote from Sculpture 2013 being my first designer purse.

Even my school projects were about him when teachers would allow it.

And every time someone would ask me about my future and what I wanted to do when I grew up, my answer was always the same

“I WANNA WORK FOR VIRGIL”

So you’re probably wondering why that man meant so much to me even though I didn't know him. 

Well, the answer to that question is pretty simple. 

In life, you always have that one special teacher. The one that lifts you up, makes you feel seen, motivates, encourages and inspires you. That one teacher you still think about ten, twenty years after sitting in their class. Well, despite being a phenomenal designer, creative, and artist, Virgil was and will forever be my teacher.

Our teacher.

You see, Virgil’s purpose wasn’t just to create and be successful.

It was also to help. It was mainly to help.

Everything he’s ever said is quotable. Every interview or talk is a masterclass.

And between every door he’s ever opened, he created bridges so that others could walk.

That was Virgil’s power. His ability to help not just his friends or people he knew, but entire communities and kids. Including myself. 


The day I knew fashion was my future was the day I watched his debut for Vuitton. Tears were streaming down my face but I was smiling so hard that my cheeks started hurting. That day, I told my parents I wanted to work in the fashion industry and that I was convinced it was the right path for me.

Now, I don’t wanna turn this into a Virgil Abloh biography but I do wanna share some highlights that I think were major. 

Off-White wasn’t just a label, it is a philosophy: “the gray area between black and white.” A reminder that nothing is fixed, nothing is binary, and culture is messy and complicated. Zip ties, quotation marks, deconstruction, it’s not just aesthetics. It’s a way of saying that we don’t play by their rules.

Virgil designed systems, spaces, ideas.

Clothes were just one of his mediums.

In the music industry, besides being a DJ, Rocky’s “Fashion Killa” was directed by him. Kanye's “YEEZUS”cover, his scenography....  

Fashion, Music, Design Photography. Everything.

Not to mention this man was originally trained as an architect, which makes total sense if you look at his archives.

Virgil was a COMPLETE artist.

Every time I’d see pictures of him at PFW with Rocky, Carti or Nast, I would tell myself I was going to be there one day.

And now that I'm slowly getting there, he’s not.

He was my motivation to go to school. Get excellent grades. To get into excellent universities. To get great jobs. To, one day, be able to reach and work for him.   

I genuinely think I’ve never studied someone's work more than Virgil’s…

Okay maybe Rocky but that's it. 

I used to watch his shows over and over again, his interviews, read books about him. Even when I was in class (sorry mom). I was taking notes or highlighting some stuff, just to make sure that I could go back to them whenever I needed. And trust me that happens often.

“Ablohisms” edited by Larry Warsh, is full of annotations I made, for example. And I take it everywhere I go with me. 

There’s this incredible video by Kerwin Frost with Tremaine Emory, Nast, and Bloody Osiris. It was supposed to be an interview, but it turned into a full-on tribute to Virgil. His friends, just sitting there, sharing memories about him. It’s so beautiful. I go back to it a lot and recommend it to anyone out there.

When he passed, I had just turned 16. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the night before a huge math test I had. I obviously failed.

I didn’t speak that entire day. Complete silence. Most people were laughing at me for being “this” affected. But I had lost my motivation. I didn't know what to think. Who am I gonna work for now? Who was going to keep teaching me?

But with time I realized that Virgil might be gone, but his lessons are still here and they’re forever. His legacy is forever. And, he’s going to keep teaching us.  

“FREE GAME”

He launched that website about a year before his passing, and it’s a literal goldmine.

Twelve lessons, packed with videos, links, explanations, a full blueprint on how to start your own label.

For free.

Virgil is going to keep teaching us. 

Teaching us how to live to our full potential, teaching us how to be brave, teaching us how to un-categorize ourselves, teaching us how to be free, how to not listen to anyone, how to design, style, market your ideas, and of course 

how to help others.

And I promise to try my best to do all of that. 

To Mr. Abloh, my forever teacher,

thank you for everything.

I know I’ll never get to tell you this in person someday, but I needed to write it anyway.

Happy Birthday Virgil.