Virgil Abloh came to design for brands like Louis Vuitton and created off-
white, but have you seen the first brand that he created. This brand is called a Pyrex vision and it’s really where he got his start.
Virgil said that Pyrex vision was a representation of the importance of youth culture. It was the manifesto of his upbringing. He said that he was inspired by champion garments that are often worn in gym class. He said he wanted the Pyrex looks to be based mostly on the pieces of that uniform, but it was important for him to put numbers on the back. He said he did this so that everyone who wears it feels like part of a team.
Virgil said that the first season of Pyrex was an expression of his self as an artist first and a designer second. We saw this a lot in Virgil’s later work where he really puts an importance on the fact of design’s being art and not just fashion.
The brand started very easy way. Virgil used to purchase blanks from Ralph Lauren for $40 apiece and screen print that designs he wanted on the front and backs of them and sell them at a higher rate. Because of how simply the clothes were put together some criticize the brand for not taking the traditional route. But as we know Virgil typically does not take the traditional route. Many of the designs also feature a 23 on the back. As previously stated Virgil wanted numbers on the back so everybody could feel like a team, but the 23 specifically is a nod to one of his childhood icons Michael Jordan. Virgil grew up in the Chicago area so it makes sense that he looked up to Michael Jordan so much.