"What's my DNA?" Virgil Abloh asks to an overflowing auditorium at the
Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Abloh goes on to provide
his audience with a "cheat code"--advice he wishes he had received as a
student. He then unpacks a series of "shortcuts" for cultivating a
"personal design language." Trained as an architect and engineer, Abloh
has translated the tools and techniques of his student days into the
world of fashion, product design, and music. His label, Off-White, works
in seeming contradictions, marrying streetwear with couture,
collaborating with brands like Nike, Ikea, and the Red Cross; musicians
like Lil Uzi Vert and Rihanna; and "mentors" like Rem Koolhaas.
Impervious to hurdles ("They literally don't exist."), Abloh takes us
behind the scenes of his design process, sharing the essentials of
editing, problem-solving, and storytelling. He paints a picture of his
DNA, and then flips the question: What's your DNA?
The Incidents is a series of publications based on events that occured
at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design between 1936 and
tomorrow.
Edited by Jennifer Sigler and Leah Whitman-Salkin
Copublished with the Harvard University Graduate School of Design