Even Virgil Abloh has his limits. The highly-productive 38-year-old Off-White and Louis Vuitton designer has let it be known he’s taking a hiatus from any travel-related work or appearances for the next three months.
In a phone conversation with Vogue conducted from his home, Abloh explained, “I’m shifting gears. Essentially I’m working from home [in Chicago] for the next three months, and in large part all my marketing events I’m canceling.”
Abloh said he visited a doctor in August after experiencing sustained fatigue following a trip overseas. He explained, “I was just tired, so I went to the doctor. Ultimately, everything is fine, but the doctor told me ‘this pace that you’ve sort of pushed your body, to fly all these miles, do all these different projects, is not good for your health.'”
Persistently nonchalant, Abloh views the break as a good change. “I’m excited to drop the kids off at school and be able to be here for those moments,” he said, adding, “In high school I always took pride in the award where you didn’t have any sick days. ‘Hey, seventh year in a row I’ve never been home sick!’ Being busy isn’t working, but I’m using this as I do everything else, as a way to propel me forward.”
At the same time, the shows will go on, even if he’s not physically prsent to direct them. Both Off-White and Louis Vuitton will present as planned during Paris Fashion Week thanks in no small part to the strength of both labels’ teams. Abloh said, “My Off-White team is equipped to handle this, and my Louis Vuitton team is expert-level. The shows will go on.”
