Virgil Abloh's 'Figures of Speech' exhibit is coming to Brooklyn Museum

The museum has announced an exhibition dedicated to the works of the acclaimed menswear designer who died last year at just 41

By Brooklyn Magazine Staff

Brooklyn Museum is planning an exhibition dedicated to the works of Virgil Abloh, the acclaimed menswear designer who’s death last year shocked the fashion world.

Scheduled to open July 1, the “Figures of Speech” exhibit is devoted to all things Abloh, with the museum saying his work “reshaped notions of contemporary fashion, art, commerce, design, and youth culture.” The display is a mix of fashion, large-scale sculptures, immersive spaces and sketches from his two-decade long career.

A version of “Figures of Speech” was previously on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in 2019. However, the reimagined display takes on new meaning since his November 2021 death. He was only 41.

Abloh was a multi-hyphenate in the fashion world. He made history as Louis Vuitton’s first Black artistic director and founded the cult streetwear label Off-White with Kanye West. In the music sphere, he was also a DJ and is perhaps best known for being the art director for “Watch the Throne” with Jay-Z and West, among many others. He even launched a limited-edition home goods line with IKEA.

Brooklyn Museum said the exhibit runs until January 2023 and will take place on the first floor in the Great Hall.