If there’s one person who could be credited with molding Kanye West into the Yeezy we know today (besides West himself), it’s Virgil Abloh. If you haven’t heard of him, that’s because for more than a decade, Abloh’s gig has mainly been behind the scenes, guiding and assisting Ye on how to be a more perfect Ye. As Kanye’s creative director, Abloh has influence on everything the hip-hop mogul does, from the clothes he wears to his album covers. Since landing the job as Kanye’s right-hand man in the early aughts, Abloh’s role in inflating West to the star we know today has been paramount.
In 2013, Abloh began branching out on his own, bringing his own designer street-wear line Off-White to runways everywhere—he just showed at New York Fashion Week—and to high-end stores like Barneys and online cult-fave Matches Fashion. A jack-of-all-trades, Abloh also happens to be damn good at spinning wax—which is exactly why he’ll be behind the decks at two Encore clubs this week.
DJing under the name Flat White, Abloh continues to ignite dancefloors in London with his U.K. hip-hop and grime-centric sets. Google footage of his gigs at English party spots Boiler Room and XOYO (he debuted The Life of Pablo track “Fade” in November at the latter) for a taste of what you’ll hear during his Vegas set. Knowing Abloh, anything he touches—or spins—will be golden. Virgil Abloh at Surrender at Encore, February 26; at XS at Encore, February 29.
