Is Virgil Abloh Headed to Givenchy?

by Paige Reddinger

Virgil Abloh could be headed to Givenchy, according to WWD. The French house has reportedly held discussions with the Off-White designer in the wake of Riccardo Tisci’s departure, who rumor has it is going to Versace. Abloh would be taking over after Tisci’s 12-year reign at the label, where he was known for infusing high fashion with street references like Chola culture. He would also be following in the footsteps of other iconic designers at the house, such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.

Abloh has quickly been reaching icon status in his own right. The former architect and engineer found fame as a DJ, co-founder of Chicago’s RSVP Gallery, and as Kanye West’s creative director, where he was widely known as being responsible for bringing up-and-coming designers to West’s attention. He has also collaborated with everyone from Takashi Murakami to Tisci himself. But it’s his label Off-White that has been creating recent buzz, and according to retailers, it’s flying off shelves. But you don’t have to take their word for it. To wit: A brief visit to Barneys website and you can see that Off-White’s pre-order items are already sold out or almost sold out before they’re even available for purchase. Givenchy higher-ups are likely seeing dollar signs, and Abloh’s appointment would be in keeping with the streetwear as high-fashion phenom that designers like Demna Gvasalia, Gosha Rubchinskiy, Shayne Oliver, and Virgil Abloh himself have trail-blazed.

Stay tuned for the next round of designer musical chairs…

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