Virgil Abloh Opens NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center This Week

Although Virgil Abloh’s rep keeps rising, the multi-faceted creative hasn’t forgotten his roots just yet.

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New addition to the school. Some much needed functional community stimulation!@virgilabloh

A post shared by Alphonso Peluso (@alphonso_peluso) on May 28, 2019 at 7:48am PDT

Reaching back to the community, Virgil will launch what’s called the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center at his alma mater, the IIT College Of Architecture.

It can’t be disputed that Virgil Abloh is the hottest name in streetwear culture right now. Between launching much-hyped collaborations with Nike and IKEA, the designer also heads his own brand, Off-White, and is the artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton. Next month, a museum exhibition dedicated to his work set to open in Chicago. Just when you think the designer has enough on his plate, it seems like he’s not slowing down yet. This week, Virgil Abloh visited his old school, the Illinois Institue of Technology, to launch the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center – a space where sport meets creativity.

According to Nike, the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center will host workshops and product launches, and offer mentorship opportunities from some of the city’s prominent creative minds. This will likely include an appearance by Virgil himself. When the center opens on May 31, the public can look forward to workshops on graphic design, visual arts, photography, architecture and more, scheduled from June 8 to July 13.

Despite a busy schedule that sees him jet from city to city, the designer seemed to have no qualms about this collaboration project with Nike .“It’s a way to contribute to the local creative community,” says Virgil, “I see it as a place to experiment under the context of sport and creativity.”

What are your thoughts on Virgil Abloh’s influence in streetwear culture? Let us know in the comments below.

All images: Nike