Remembering Virgil Abloh - An Iconic Fashion Designer and Occasional Watch Designer
The fashion world got some shocking news yesterday, learning of the passing of the iconic fashion designer Virgil Abloh at only 41 years old. Abloh had been privately battling a rare form of cancer for 2 years, dealing a huge blow to the fashion community.
Abloh began his career by interning at Fendi in 2009 in the same class as Kanye West. The two would become friends and collaborators. Abloh would go on to found the luxury fashion brand Off-White, with LVMH eventually taking a 60% stake in the company. Abloh’s relationship with LVMH went even further. In 2018 he became the artistic director for menswear for Louis Vuitton, a role he would retain until his death. Indeed, Abloh made significant contributions to streetwear and fashion.
Abloh’s creativity, however, extended beyond fashion. He was also a heavy hitting influence to the luxury watch space with a number of designs that only he could produce. We thought we’d highlight and reflect on some of our favorite Virgil designs.
To the best of my knowledge, Abloh did not collaborate with LVMH watch brands (i.e. Tag Heuer or Hublot, Zenith, Bulgari, etc.), however he did design one-off custom pieces for himself and his friends. It appears Abloh had a special affinity for a piece us in the watch community hold in great esteem: the Patek Philippe Nautilus.
Abloh’s first custom Nautilus showed up in 2019. While it is not clear whether Abloh designed the blacked out Patek Philippe 5726 with annual calendar, a GQ article from the time period seems to indicate he did. The custom Nautilus also appears to have been made in collaboration with watch customizers MAD Paris, though they would not confirm (nor deny) whether they made the piece. While customizing iconic timepieces may not be every collector’s cup of tea (especially the purists), there is a robust market for them and they are creating one of a kind timepiece’s out of something more common. It seems likely then, that Abloh told MAD Paris his vision and they created this one of a kind Nautilus.
The next custom piece designed by Abloh is also a Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5726. However, this time he decided to set the entire watch, from bracelet, to bezel, to dial with emeralds. The case of the watch, where visible, appears to be matte black (like Abloh’s previous customization). Abloh designed this watch for none other than Drake. I personally know who is responsible for helping bring this custom piece to fruition, including setting all the jewels, but I am not sure if I am actually at liberty to divulge that information.
Abloh also did some work relating to “time” for Louis Vuitton. In 2020 Abloh created a grey LV wall clock that had LV at every hour position and whose hands ran backwards. On Instagram, Abloh wrote of the clock: “in my mind Louis Vuitton show 4 is titled ‘Heaven on Earth’. the invite is a literal piece of time. the clock tho, i re-wired it to spin backwards. There’s also a metaphor in that but also, as they say ‘a broke clock is right twice a day…’”
This Louis Vuitton clock followed shortly after Abloh’s collaboration with IKEA that also included a clock. The IKEA clock’s hands, however, moved in the correct direction, though the clock’s cover was stamped with a graphic that read “TEMPORARY.”
The IKEA clock’s message is even more profound now that Abloh has passed. Though his time was short and temporary (as is everything), he contributed much to the fashion industry and watch industry.
There’s no doubt in our minds that we’ve lost an industry giant this week - both in fashion and watches. Virgil Abloh is a legend, and there will be a gaping hole in fashion that’ll never fully be filled. We at Wrist Enthusiast past along our heartfelt condolences to Mr. Abloh’s family and friends.