Virgil Abloh created exhibit- exclusive products like this Culture Collage purse, released in a limited edition of three (price upon request).
The spotlight will shine brightly on Virgil Abloh this month when the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago debuts Figures of Speech, an exhibition showcasing the creator’s multifaceted work in architecture, fashion, music, design and fine art. “Here we have this amazing cultural force living and working right here in Chicago and lighting the world on fire,” says MCA curator Michael Darling. “People don’t have a great sense of all the great things that he does, so we’re trying to gather all that activity under one roof.” Abloh— an Illinois Institute of Technology graduate who went on to work with Kanye West, found the fashion label Off-White and, more recently, take on the role of artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection—was intimately involved in the exhibition, even designing products that will be available for purchase exclusively in the MCA’s on-site store. “People will want to have a memento of the exhibit, and Virgil loves making merchandise and product,” Darling says. “For people who think they know him already, it’ll be exciting to see the depth and breadth of what he’s doing.” Opens June 10, 220 E. Chicago Ave., mcachicago.org
Photography by: Courtesy of The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
