Virgil Abloh to slow down for medical reasons

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Sep 11, 2019

Hyperactivity is one of Virgil Abloh's trademarks. Creative director at Off-White and, since last year, Louis Vuitton menswear, the American designer has been busy racking up new collaborations (including partnerships with the likes of Nike and Ikea), participating in conferences around the world, and DJing in the hippest clubs. 

But the Illinois-born designer, who will soon turn 39, had to take a step back from this frantic rhythm this summer so as not to put his health at risk, as he explained in an interview with Vogue US. 

"I was just tired, so I want to the doctor," he told the magazine. "Everything is fine, but the doctor told me 'this pace that you've sort of pushed your body – to fly all these miles, do all these different projects – is not good for your health.'"

The creative director, who, according to some counts, used to visit more than eight international destinations in a week, between America, Asia and Europe, has therefore decided to slow things down. He has been working in Chicago for the last three months, he explained, and is taking time out of his schedule to take his children to school. The designer's collaborative projects have also been put on hold and he has declined most of the invitations he has received to participate in events and conferences. 

Furthermore, he will not attend the next Off-White show, which takes place in Paris on September 26, as part of the French capital's womenswear fashion week. All of this obviously raises questions about Abloh's role both at his own brand and at Louis Vuitton menswear. "My Off-White team is equipped to handle this," he told Vogue. "And my Louis Vuitton team is expert-level. The shows will go on."

Louis Vuitton is yet to reply to a request for comment from FashionNetwork.com about the organization of the creative team behind its menswear collections.