When Virgil Abloh was first starting to emerge into the underground streetwear scene with his debut brand Pyrex Vision in 2012, few could have predicted what lay ahead. In just a few short years, Abloh went from a little-known streetwear label boss to the most influential high-fashion designer on the planet, taking the helm at Louis Vuitton and spearheading haute couture’s streetwear renaissance.
There are similarly meteoric success stories all around the fashion world. Every era has its own Abloh, and each consecutive generation of fledgling designers, fashion-school graduates and emerging brands contains a number of heavyweights-to-be.