Virgil Abloh’s legacy will live on for years to come. Whether it’s his work across fashion, art, music, or culture, it’s no secret that the late visionary undoubtedly reshaped how we see creativity and the world around us.
Since his sudden passing last year, the creative sphere has continued to pay homage to this legacy with collections and exhibitions, with Nordstrom revealing the latest and arguably the greatest with Concept 018: Virgil Abloh Securities.
Marking the latest installment of Nordstrom's New Concepts platform – an ongoing series of collections and pop-ups designed to honor creative talent – Concept 018 – which is set to drop online from August 11 – consolidates a number of Abloh’s flagship projects under one umbrella, including Off-White™, Alaska Alaska, and Canary Yellow.
“This project, like many things Virgil worked on, began with a WhatsApp conversation a few months after I’d started at Nordstrom,” the retailer’s Men's Fashion and Editorial Director Jian DeLeon tells Highsnobiety (DeLeon was previously the Editor in Chief of Highsnobiety).
“After getting on a call with his team, it was clear there was a larger opportunity to bring Virgil’s unique way of seeing the world to our customers.”
Concept 018 – which is set to drop on Nordstrom's site from August 11 – also incorporates the Church & State merchandise from Abloh’s “Figures of Speech” exhibition, of which Nordstrom is a sponsor.
Teaming up with the Brooklyn Museum on the exhibition opening party in June, Nordstrom continues to work closely on Abloh-related events and activations, including Teen Night programming where Nordstrom will participate in a mentorship session in line with Abloh's insistence on uplifting the next generation.
“From the jump, this concept was always about figuring out some way to tie in all of Virgil’s various creative endeavors,” DeLeon continues.
“As we worked with his team, it became clearer that this would be an ideal way of amplifying the mission of Virgil Abloh Securities moving forward, to preserve and continue Virgil’s indelible creative ethos across multiple disciplines.”
Nordstrom's Virgil Abloh Securities concept itself features a myriad of menswear and womenswear, including both ready-to-wear apparel, footwear, and accessories.
Alongside capsules from Denim Tears x Canary Yellow and American skateboarder Sal Barbier, there will also be an exclusive Off-White™ x Nordstrom capsule and the Off-White™ fragrance, as well as apparel and accessories at the “Figures of Speech” exhibition.
“I hope this inspires a new generation of creatives to pave their own paths in fashion and beyond. Opening doors for the underprivileged was an important aspect of what Virgil did, and part of his legacy is the blueprint he wrote for anyone to follow in his footsteps.”
