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Prior to his demise in 2021 at the age of 41, Virgil Abloh was frequently described as the most significant fashion designer of his generation. Not exactly the most technical—not by a long shot. Even during his tenure at Louis Vuitton, where he made history as the first African American to oversee the house's men's collection in 2018, he leaned toward printing on T-shirts over custom cuts. But as a culture-immersed polymath who tackled fashion with a fresh energy, his high-low interpretation of streetwear worked to democratize the rarefied world of fashion to the next generation like him who had long been shut out, whether he was imprinting his vision on Evian bottles or £8,000 bags.

Cultural visionary … photograph of Virgil Abloh.

The magnitude of his legacy on design cannot assessed in physical items, but Virgil Abloh: The Codes, the first exhibition devoted entirely to the late fashion designer's massive 20,000-item archive, demonstrates that he was as much a insatiable accumulator of items—the titular codes—as he was a designer of them.

Arranged by Abloh's partners Chloe and Mahfuz Sultan along with his surviving spouse, Shannon, this two-storey exhibition uses his belongings to illustrate his journey from the offspring of immigrant parents in Illinois to designer, visual artist, DJ, and ultimately one of the biggest designers in the world.

The layout evokes a flea market. Stacks of folded Off-White T-shirts and sneaker partnerships are displayed next to design implements, scissors, and old computers. A pair of Nike Air Jordan 1s have been turned inside out, while one of his leather handbags imprinted with the word “sculpture” (speech marks were one of his trademark elements) rests by itself on a pedestal.

The more interactive exhibits include his workspace at Louis Vuitton (he famously called his phone as his desk) and a full-size DJ booth; evidence of his broad influence, maturing in Illinois in the 2000s, his performance alias back then was Flat White.

The signposting is limited, and while some of the more enigmatic additions—multiple USB sticks and audio recordings in display cases—will only resonate to his loyal audience, it is a intriguing look into the creative psyche of a late millennial growing up in a capitalist world before TikTok.

Overwhelming … various objects on display at this retrospective.

At times it can feel excessive, but the systematic layout is also how Abloh functioned. He would capture his conversations with journalists on tapes which he retained in order to return to and pore over as his work evolved. The tapes are likely among the archived materials still in reserve which—considering the reception and crowds outside—will probably see the light of day in later installations.

Abloh's period at Louis Vuitton was very successful but it was his partnerships with international labels which surpassed the appeal of his tailoring, treating each product—a Rimowa suitcase, a Nike trainer, the aforementioned Evian bottles—as if he was remixing a piece of music. This came from his “3% rule”—the concept that you could produce a fresh concept by changing an base by just 3%.

Launching for just 10 days during Paris fashion week at the prestigious venue—limited availability was a very Ablohian strategy—the organized crowds outside on its launch indicate it wasn't simply the hottest ticket in town, but that it was unthinkable to think that Abloh's influence would simply vanish from the industry's momentum after his death.