Calling all Virgil Abloh enthusiasts and Wisconsin Badgers fans. As part of Sotheby’s latest Contemporary Discoveries online auction, the auction house is showing a rare set of prints that the trailblazing designer made in 2015, part of a celebrated collaboration with Abloh’s alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The limited-edition partnership was called Off-Wisconsin, a playful take on Off-White, the influential luxury streetwear brand that Abloh launched in 2013.
Abloh was a fashion designer, artist and DJ credited with bridging the gap between streetwear and luxury. Originally trained as an architect, he served as Kanye West’s creative director and, in 2018, was appointed artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear—the first Black person to hold the position. He was an influential force at LVMH, the brand’s parent company and world’s largest luxury conglomerate. Abloh also partnered with the contemporary-art star Takashi Murakami on several gallery and museum installations.
Abloh died in late 2021 at the age of 41 from a rare form of cancer. His widow, Shannon Abloh, now spearheads the Virgil Abloh Foundation. Proceeds from the sale of the prints at Sotheby’s will benefit a scholarship fund at Madison, where Abloh earned a degree in civil engineering in 2003.
The distinctive lettering and text on the four red screenprints is similar to Abloh’s 2015 makeover of the The Red Shirt™, the University’s signature sports T-shirt, which was produced in a limited edition. The complete set of prints, number four out of a limited edition of ten, went on view yesterday at Sotheby’s New York headquarters inside the Breuer building. Bidding opens today (7 July) with an estimated presale range set at $7,000 to $10,000.
One of the special-edition prints Courtesy Sotheby's
The depth and range of Abloh’s artistic output during his lifetime is vast. This is evidenced by auction results that range from $4,000 lithographs and custom-designed Nike sneakers to WORLD LEADERS Ladder 1 (2022)—a sculpture comprised of rope, lacquered stainless steel and aluminium that sold for a record $405,000 at Christie’s Paris in 2022.
“His extraordinary body of work has huge fans around the world, who are typically keen to buy any works touched by his magic,” Simon Shaw, Sotheby’s senior adviser, tells The Art Newspaper. Furthermore, he notes that Abloh had “an established track record as a printmaker, where examples have sold for upwards of $25,000. This unique set has never been offered at auction before, so it offers an exciting opportunity for collectors.”
“Virgil believed that education was one of the most powerful platforms for expanding creative possibility,” Athiththan Selvendran, the chief creative officer of the Virgil Abloh Foundation, said in a statement. He adds that that since her husband’s death, Shannon Abloh has concentrated on supporting opportunity, access and exposure to education.
The scholarships “continue her mission to open doors, break barriers and foster a more equitable and inclusive industry for under-represented young creatives, cultural leaders and changemakers,” Selvendran says.
The foundation already supports other scholarships, including one for Black undergraduate students in the US to expand access to the fashion industry, and another for Black British students at the Royal College of Art in London.
“Closer to home, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Virgil Abloh Scholarship Fund will soon join this portfolio,” Selvendran says. The scholarship will support students in design, textile engineering, art and music.