Is Virgil Abloh Giving Us A ”When The Student Beats The Master” Moment?

Virgil Abloh was announced as the new artistic director for Louis Vuitton today and another page of history is getting written. For those who might feel like this comes out of blue, it’s safe to say that you’re out of the loop.

Read More: I Said I Would Be A Millionaire By 30, Here’S How I Messed Up

High-end luxury brands are finally entering the new millennium. They understand that what made them top brands in the past has shifted, new markets became the trendsetters and youth culture could no longer be denied anymore.

virgil abloh, off white, streetwear, hypebeast, pyrex, been trill

Cc: via 85SouthShow

They needed a sip from the fontaine of youth, a new muse, a Kanye, a Supreme and definitely a Virgil Abloh. Even though he came under Kanye West as his artistic director, something about Virgil took him to a point that Mr. West couldn’t reach yet.

Think about it, they both have incredible ideas, tastes for different kind of products but their process is very different. Kanye seems to like the complexicity, details and trying to disrupt the market with something totally new.

Virgil Abloh, on his part, is simplifying high-end fashion; to a point where it creates something new and timeless regardless. Something that gave Abloh the upper edge was able to create everything on his own.

Cc: nss magazine

He was able to test the water with Pyrex & Been Trill and correct his flaws from the jump. Kanye West’s partnership with Adidas puts him in a different position.

When you’re with a partner that backs your projects, there are results expected from you and you’re less inclined to take risks.

I also believe that the creator of Off-White has a better understanding of youth culture because of his other creative outlet; djing. Rocking a club’s crowd is all about understanding what the customers likes or dislike and makes them take action.

The ”College Dropout” rapper on the other hand seems more secluded to his creative world lately which. It doesn’t mean he’s out of touch, it just means that he can eventually miss the mark.

To this day, certain people like to attribute Mr. West’s success to his stardom rather than his ideas (totally unfair if you ask me). For Virgil, we can see how his background in engineering contributed to his art.

The Tinker Hatfield way. When you really think about it the reason why Off White and its creator are successful is summarized in 3 things:

We can all relate because of its simplicity.
The scarcity of the brand gives it a high-end appeal.
It taps into youth culture while being targeted to another market that can actually afford it.

I stumbled upon a video by Doctor Soles11 on Youtube that made a very interesting point about the designer.

Virgil Abloh,as creator, is able to explain his vision cohesively and in manner that gives the brand a bigger than life figure. Don’t get me wrong, Yeezy is a genius but sometimes when he opens up….Well you know what I’m talking about.