The Codes of Virgil Abloh

What the Virgil Abloh Archives exhibit tells us about his legacy.

The great news is that Virgil Abloh’s FREE GAME is finally back on the internet. The resource is essentially an aggregate of a bunch of links to YouTube videos and all sorts of tutorials that outline the basics of how to start a brand, at least in the way that Virgil did it.

Work ethic, mid-2000s Kanye co-sign, and the ability to seemingly shift between a million projects at once, however, is something that can’t necessarily be downloaded.

Its digital resurfacing aligns with the first major European exhibition to catalogue the late designer’s work. Appropriately called “Virgil Abloh: The Codes,” the Grand Palais exhibit was curated by frequent Abloh collaborators Chloe and Mafuz Sultan, and does an impressive job of combining the previous Nike-sponsored exhibit (also called “Virgil Abloh: The Codes”) that debuted at Miami’s Art Basel back in December 2022 with the initial traveling “Figures of Speech” exhibits from Chicago, Atlanta, and Brooklyn.

This daunting project is the first in a line of what is going to be known as the Virgil Abloh Archive, an undertaking by his estate that includes many of his closest partners and Abloh’s widow, Shannon Abloh, who also oversees Virgil Abloh Securities, the overall encompassing entity tying together the multi-faceted aspects of his practice.

One of the most impressive things about Abloh was his ability to curate a room full of the most creatively diverse individuals. From blue chip artists, notable architects, pro skaters, and streetwear pioneers, it wasn’t uncommon to see them rubbing shoulders with other titans of industry from brands like Nike, Evian, Apple, or any pick of the litter of the LVMH brands.

The Paris exhibit manifests that energy not only in the amount of people it got to come out to fete its opening, but also the bevy of collaborators, panelists, and partners who are involved in its programming.

For one, the exhibit got Colette’s Sarah Andelman to resurrect the defunct specialty store to serve as its de facto gift shop. Recreating the chaotic dynamism of Colette’s first floor, souvenir tchotchkes like lighters, magnets, Sharpies, and stickers share shelf space with collaborative T-shirts from Cactus Plant Flea Market, Babylon LA, and the reissue of the very first “Medallions” tee Abloh ever designed for Colette.

Beyond that, one can also cop posters, skate decks, grip tape, and a variety of printed matter and art pieces. Objects get even pricier, from more accessible Braun clocks to silverware designed by Abloh that was only posthumously released.

But perhaps some of the best, never-before-seen parts of the exhibit are the ideas that never were, yet clearly could have been something. There’s a fully thought-out pitch for a Prada x Nike collaboration, mocked up with little more than literal red tape strategically placed atop a Vapormax sneaker, subtly referencing the signature linea rossa branding that continues to be a part of the house’s codes.

There are even pitches for Abloh making a case as the creative director for Versace, an offer that was certainly rumored but ultimately declined in favor of his post at Louis Vuitton. Before the latter was even formalized though, the exhibit shows a pitch for a so-called “secret line” of collaborative capsule collections that Abloh would curate, operating between the seams of Kim Jones’ menswear collections and Nicolas Ghesquierè’s womenswear lines.

Indeed, the “if you can dream it, you can do it” philosophy that Abloh represented shines strong throughout the exhibit, making the tragedy of his loss all the more apparent. But overall, it turns something mournful into something hopeful. The idea is that, like Abloh proposed in an Instagram caption, you really can do it too.

In fact, one of the more interesting interactive portions of the exhibit is a table full of computers. Attendees can sort through the files, recreations of Abloh’s own hard drives full of ideas and concepts for shoes like the Rubber Dunk and unused logos that may end up in a future Virgil Abloh Archive project. If one were so inclined, you could airdrop yourself as much of those files as you wanted, tweaking it and turning it into something new. Or even better, serving as a jumping off point for the next great idea.

Talk about free game for real.