Shannon Abloh to Become CEO, Managing Director of Virgil Abloh Securities
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Shannon Abloh is taking on a large role to continue her late husband Virgil Abloh’s legacy and initiatives globally.
She will become chief executive officer and managing director of Virgil Abloh Securities, a Virgil Abloh-founded creative corporation. Shannon Abloh will lead this organization and spearhead initiatives and endeavors, all of which Virgil Abloh laid the foundation for, over the coming years.
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The 41-year old Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White and men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton, died Nov. 28 after a two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare cancer.
Virgil Abloh Securities will also launch a new philanthropic institution that will continue the designer’s philosophy and teachings to create pathways for greater equity and inclusion for diverse talents across creative industries.
Virgil Abloh Securities will consist of work in the disciplines of art, architecture, engineering, creative direction, artistic direction, industrial design, fashion design, music, film, writing and philanthropy.
The team at Virgil Abloh Securities consists of his longstanding creative collaborators. The company said every project that moves forward will be entirely created with Abloh’s methodology. The company is open to new projects and is encouraging people to reach out with any opportunities that would be of interest.
Shannon Abloh intends to release a formal statement about her role next month, explaining the future of Virgil Abloh Securities.
As reported last month, The Fashion Scholarship Fund awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to students, including the new class of 23 Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund winners. The most moving moment was when Shannon Abloh took the stage to reveal the winner of the $25,000 Chairman’s Award for the best case study — Naecia Dixon, a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design and a 2022 Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholar.
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“One of the things I always admired about Virgil was his deep sense of compassion and care for others,” Shannon Abloh said. “He believed that being a leader meant serving others in need. And he felt a tremendous sense of purpose in opening doors for others. He would say, ‘The work isn’t simply about opening the doors, it’s about laying the groundwork to ensure these doors remain open permanently for others to walk through.’
“When he would say, ‘Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,’ he, of course, wasn’t talking about himself. He was talking about every young person who has ever dreamed of becoming something — an artist, a fashion designer, an architect or an engineer — but felt discouraged because they couldn’t see themselves represented in these industries. Virgil was, of course, deeply honored to become the first African American to lead a European fashion house. But he believed his real work was using his position to ensure that many more Black designers, creatives and executives could have access to the opportunities he had in the fashion industry. He believed his real work was championing others,” said Shannon Abloh.
A staunch supporter of her husband’s career, Shannon Abloh kept mostly a low profile while her husband was alive. Her career has included roles at Monster and Yahoo, and they have two children together.
FOR MORE STORIES:
Fondation Louis Vuitton Hosts Virgil Abloh’s Coming of Age Show
Virgil Abloh’s Posthumous Off-White Collection Included a New High Fashion Line
Year in Review: ‘VIrgil was Here:’ A Look at the Life and Death of Virgil Abloh
EXCLUSIVE: Louis Vuitton CEO Talks Final Virgil Abloh Collection, Succession Plans
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