Cancel culture is the wave right now. For better or worse, celebrities and public figures seem to get zero mercy when it comes to public missteps. Such seems to be the case with Off White owner and Louis Vuitton Menswear Creative Director Virgil Abloh.
In recent weeks, the Ghanaian American has come under fire, first for seemingly bemoaning the damage done to stores by looting more than the unjust deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and then for appearing to only donate $50 to the cause. He has since apologized and clarified his words and motives, but judging by comments on our channels, he is far from forgiven.
Abloh exclusively went to Fast Company to tell his side:
“I’ve taken all the (negative) feedback into account,” he says. “But the one thing I would say is that if you’re privy to my work, it’s clear what side of the line I stand on. If you’re privy to the fact that I’m a Black business owner, and that I’ve hired Black people at an industry-leading scale, it’s glaringly obvious that I stand with Black people.”
“I accept the circumstances of this position,” he says. “With great opportunity comes great responsibility. My goal is to lead by example.”
In the article, he says that he is already working with Louis Vuitton to increase diversity internally, and also plans to support other black designers breaking into the industry.
It sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to see what Virgil does next.
What do you think?
