Virgil Abloh tapped into his design roots for his lecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. In front of a packed auditorium, Abloh touched on his history as a designer, his work with Ikea and Nike and more.
Topics range from a variety of subjects, including inspiration and his collaborations. “Talking in quotes” is touched on — despite “getting a little bit tired,” they’re “basically humor.” Abloh inserts “humanity through that tool,” referencing vintage clothes, irony and normcore, semi-seriously citing Duchamp as an influence on the technique. Later on, Abloh mentions that his IKEA products will cost “under fifty bucks” and will come out, “I think soon.” After working through his personal design language and touching on mentors, like Donald Judd, Abloh turns to his work with Nike. Regarding shoes, Abloh admits, “I’m not a sneakerhead, I just wear the same shoes for a really long time, then go onto another.”
Check out the revealing lecture above and let us know your comments below.