Designer Spotlight: Virgil Abloh

Designer Spotlight: Virgil Abloh

Introduction

Virgil Abloh has influenced and changed the whole fashion industry significantly within the last ten. years. He has overcome so much and achieved so much in his lifetime that it is hard to find a more impressive resume. Just following his work over the past five years has been extremely impressive and motivational.

Early Career

Virgil Abloh began his career after graduating from the Illinois Institute of Technology as an architect major. He believed that if he could design a building he could design anything and he was correct. He got his first internship at Fendi and managed to get a gig working alongside Kanye West. The time he spent with Kanye really skyrocketed his career as they began an artistic collaboration of design, production and music. 

Off-White

Virgil founded the Milan based clothing brand many of you know today as "Off-White" in 2013. He. quickly took over the market and Off-White took off. His branding was interesting. It involved the use of quotation marks around obvious phrases along with zip ties and variances of barricade tape. It was this branding that got him his biggest deal with Nike in 2017 where he was able to go back and make his own renditions of some of Nike's most famous shoes.

Notable Off-White Collaborations

• Nike
• IKEA
• Undercover

Louis Vuitton

In 2018 Virgil took the streetwear game to the highest level, he was named head artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear line. This was an incredible moment due to him being the first African American head director at Louis Vuitton ever. Since then he has done nothing but implement concepts and ideas from the streetwear world into the high fashion world. Virgil is, simply put, incredible.

Personal Take

I personally have multiple piece of Virgil's pieces including 5 pairs of his Off-White collaboration with Nike. I do not have as much of his clothing due to personal taste and the overall cost of some of his products but I do have one of his hoodies and hav owned multiple pairs of his denim. Virgil is truly inspirational and he has a lot more to offer in the future.

Supreme

Supreme 

Introduction

Supreme is one, if not the most well known streetwear brand in the street fashion community. Tracing  its roots back to 1994, it has been around for quite sometime. This brand has evolved and paved the. way for the streetwear/ skating culture and continues to become more and more relevant in todays world. 

Early Supreme

Supreme was founded in 1994 by a man named James Jebbia. James was born in the United Kingdom however he moved to New York City in 1983 and got a job at a minimalist clothing store called Parachute. He then opened his first store in 1989 called Union NYC and carried mostly skating gear. In 1994 he founded Supreme which at that time was mostly a clothing brand and skateboard shop. Since then supreme has become world renowned mostly because of its famous "box logo". 

Supreme's Famous Box Logo

There is a lot of controversy surrounding Supreme's box logo. An iconic logo that has been stolen and been repurposed hundreds of times. It is a red logo with "supreme" written in white font. This is where the controversy comes into play. Being based off of Barbara Kruger's propaganda art, Supreme ran into a lot of legal trouble with the logo however they still managed to get away with using the logo. Supreme's box logo art has been used as their logo on all of the tags of their clothing however the most coveted piece that is dropped every season is the box logo tee shirt or box logo hoodie. These are the items that go resell at thousands of dollars above retail price. They even put it on an Oreo!

Notable Supreme Collaborations

• Louis Vuitton
• Bape
• Undercover
• Nike
• Oreo

My Supreme Obsession

Since I became involved in reselling and collecting streetwear in  2014 I have collected and sold hundreds of articles of Supreme clothing and merchandise. I currently have ten different box logo tee shirts and hoodies and have 20-30 different graphic tees. I am obsessed with the brand and the art and history that goes with it. 

Street Fashion Covid-19 Relief

Street Fashion Covid-19 Relief

Introduction

Street fashion has stepped up to the plate for Covid-19 relief. The coronavirus has drastically effected the fashion industry by limiting in-store shopping and forcing brands and companies to go online only. This has not stopped the community of street fashion from attempting to help people in need.

Supreme Covid-19 Box Logo

Supreme, a New York City based street wear brand, has helped with various charities and devastating world events in the past including 9/11 and even the Japanese tsunami tragedy. They are now teaming up with artist Takashi Murakami to release a special "Box Logo" tee shirt with all funds going to help Covid-19 relief. Takashi Murakami is a world renowned artist known best for his Murakami styled flowers. He has designed the album covers of artists such as Kanye West and Kid Cudi which is where his streetwear influence was really derived. This new box logo has become one of the most coveted box logos to be released. Selling for $68 retail, they now resell for upwards of $1,000. This. sparked a wave in the streetwear  world to all join together and help

Grailed and Stockx Fees

Resale platforms such as Grailed and Stockx have fees associated with selling products on their websites. After Supreme announced their collaboration with Takashi Murakami, these two companies decided to take all proceeds from the fees made from reselling the Supreme box logos and donate them to Covid-19 relief. They have helped raise a significant amount of money to helping the virus.

 

Bape Covid-19 Masks

Bape masks have always been a relatively personal style more prominent in Japanese streetwear. However due to the new epidemic, masks are back in. Bape has been helping to produce masks in mass quantities and have been helping people stay in style while still remaining safe through these tough times.

Japanese Streetwear Brands

Japanese Streetwear Brands

Introduction

Japanese clothing is a major hit in the streetwear world. They are and have been extremely influential and over the past couple years their popularity has skyrocketed. Brands such as Bape, Undercover, and Come Des Garçons have taken front stage in a lot of peoples eyes. 

Bape

Bape, or "A Bathing Ape", is what most people think of when they think Japanese streetwear. This brand was started in 1993 by Tomoaki Nagao, who goes by Nigo. He started this brand with Jun Takahashi (another famous Japanese designer but we will get to that later) and branded it after the 1968 film "Planet of the Apes". Since then Bape has spread in popularity until it was sold in 2011 when a Hong Kong fashion conglomerate purchased it. Bape has had many collaborations and has worked with many different brands.

Notable Bape Collaborations

• Supreme
• Coca-Cola 
• Pepsi
• Kaws
• Adidas

Undercover

Undercover was founded in 1994 by the previously mentioned Jun Takahashi. He founded undercover while still in school at Tokyo's Bunka Fashion College. Jun Takahashi was known to be the rebellious bad boy in the Japanese fashion scene and he was heavily influenced by the Sex Pistols which is where he got the punk. He defied all norms of the runway doing whatever he wanted all while making name for himself with Bape on the side. 

Notable Undercover Collaborations

• Supreme
• Vans
• Off White
• Converse

Personal Collection

I have a pretty large collection of Japanese streetwear ranging from the Bape and Undercover that was talked about in this blog, but also from more Japanese brands such as Comme Des Garcons and WTAPs. I prefer Japanese style over the European style it is more outgoing and vibrant compared to some of the more simple brands from Europe. The only issue is sizing and buying the right size. My personal favorite Japanese brand is Undercover I have over ten of their pieces in my wardrobe.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan and His Iconic Shoes

Introduction

Michael Jordan is considered to be one of the  greatest basketball players of all time. He played for the Chicago Bulls for many years winning them six NBA Championships over that time. However,  we are not here to discuss his iconic basketball career, but his incredible sneaker legacy that he built with Nike.

First Shoe

Coming off of a hot college career, Michael Jordan was looking to find a sneaker deal.  At the time all of the big name players in the league signed with converse. Michael was a major prospect later being picked third in his draft class so this drew attention from many companies. Michael was surprised when Nike, a small running based company out of Oregon, offered him an unprecedented  $250,000 contract and Air Jordan began. HIs first shoe is the most iconic out of the numerous shoes he released with Nike.

Tinker Hatfield

After the loss in sales after Air Jordan's second shoe, Nike had Michael Team up with a designer named Tinker Hatfield. He and Michael sat down and began to work together to create the best looking shoe. They teamed up and worked together from shoe three to thirteen of the air Jordan line creating some of the most famous shoe silhouettes in the world. Tinker is what really took the Air Jordan and Nike shoe to the next level. 

Personal Favorites

My personal favorite shoe in the Air Jordan line is the Jordan One. I currently have six different pairs, my favorite being the orange, white, and black "Shattered Backboards" that currently sell for upwards of $1,500 a pair. Apart from the Jordan Ones I have pairs of the Jordan 3's, the Jordan 4's, Jordan 5's and have had a pair of the Jordan 11's. Michael Jordan's impact on the sneaker community is incredible.

Fashion Majors at Stevenson

Fashion Majors At Stevenson

Fashion Majors

Here at Stevenson we offer many different tracks for studying the in and outs of the fashion industry. This brings a lot of culture to the university and as it sits vacant awaiting the return of students in the fall I want to bring attention to our many different opportunities that are available here.

Fashion Merchandising

SU’s Fashion Merchandising program gives you a "business focus on the world of fashion. Classes in marketing, management, art, and fashion will provide you with a foundation in all the essential aspects of fashion." (Stevenson University 2020). This deals less with the actual designing and creation of the garments but how to market clothing. These people help display the clothing in stores, such as a friend of mine Aaron Hernandez who currently works at Nordstrom as a stylist/ fashion merchandiser. This is the business side of fashion, the marketing, the economic look at fashion

Fashion Design

Fashion design is very different from fashion merchandising. These are the people who are down and actually making and styling the clothing. At Stevenson they describe this major to be a program that "synthesizes the individual aesthetic of the designer with an understanding of the market, historical context of fashion and costume, consumer psychology, materials, and techniques of apparel construction" (Stevenson University 2020). The friends that I currently have in this program have gotten to experience a lot of amazing things in the fashion industry. They have styled people, been to actual run way events, competed and showed off their many creations. It is hards work but a great and interesting major that Stevenson offers.

Flexibility

If you are not interested in pursuing these as majors there are more options. If you are interested in pursuing fashion in another way while majoring in say business administration, Stevenson offers the ability to minor in fashion merchandising.

Citations

Stevenson University. “Fashion Design Program: Stevenson University.” Program | Stevenson University, 1 Mar. 2019, www.stevenson.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/fashion-design/.

Stevenson University. “Fashion Merchandising Program: Stevenson University.” Program | Stevenson University, 1 Mar. 2019, www.stevenson.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/fashion-merchandising/.

Music's Influence on Fashion

Musics Influence on Fashion

Introduction 

Music and clothing go hand in hand with cultural significance. Today more than ever the musical world has especially effected the streetwear culture. Artists like Kanye West have trail blazed a path by creating brands and promoting the new wave of artists to show off what they are wearing. 

Kanye West

Kanye has been arguably the most influential musical artists on the fashion industry. Since his original collaboration with Louis Vuitton he. has worked with many different companies including his famous Yeezys with Nike. After Nike he moved on to Adidas where he mass produced a new wave of shoes and clothing. The way Kanye dresses is always talked about. People want what he is wearing and he has the ability to make people want to be like him. 

Brands Kanye has Collaborated with. 

• A.P.C.
• Nike
• Adidas
• Yeezy Season

New Wave of Artists

Kanye has opened a door for new artists, such as Lil Uzi Vert, A$AP Rocky, and Young Thug, to become fashion icons and idols for many streetwear collectors and college kids that are into fashion. These people are able to dress in whatever way they want to and people mimic what they are wearing. They begin to rap and sing about the clothing they are wearing which creates a connection to the clothing and the music. A$AP Rocky has taken his love for clothing and turned it into  a modeling career where he worked specifically with Dior. Music and fashion go hand in hand and that is something that will never change.

Old Brands from the Past

There has also been a resounding influx of vintage band apparel that has taken the market by storm. This new fad has vintage resellers extremely happy as people grow out of their old band tees and donate these gems to goodwill. Band tees such as The Grateful Dead, Nirvana, and The Rolling Stones have all increased in price significantly since people in the music industry have begun to wear these clothes. I myself have a large collection of vintage band tees.