Virgil Abloh Announced a New Mentorship Series for Fashion Designers Today

The digital platform's goal is to give a leg up to fledgling Black creatives.

In an effort to help a new generation of creatives gain the insights and skills need to thrive in the fashion world, Off-White founder and chief creative director, Virgil Abloh, has launched an online offering called Free Game.

Described as a “resource center for brands in their earliest phases”, the video-driven content boasts advice ranging from tips on how to name a brand and obtain a trademark to guidance on shooting look books and for making a website. There’s also a catalogue of interviews by Abloh’s heroes like renowned graphic designer Peter Saville (whom Abloh describes as his “personal mentor”) and Japanese fashion creative Yohji Yamamoto, as well as inspirational moments from hip hop artist’s such as Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams.

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“FREE GAME”… my mass but personal mentorship concept is now live. the number 1 question i often get asked is, how did i start my career? it’s a real question that is my responsibility to answer because that’s information and resources i had yearned for as a kid every time. information is for the young. the youth will always win.⁣ ⁣ i was raised on BET Rap City, the basement freestyles, Source and Stress Magazine. Like Lil Wayne or Cam’ron saying “F Mike, till I had seen him, i hadn’t seen Thriller”?✨. i didn’t need a Magritte painting to understand surrealism. the color of my skin puts conceptual art in my blood. Arthur Jafa, Mafuz and are dropping a Zoom on that later, but even with the degrees that i obtained, what was most defining for my education that and those videos up there. that inspired this new education series i just launched called “FREE GAME”. ⁣ when i see the disparities in education provided to black people and people of color entering into creative disciplines, it strengthens my position that this is one of the front lines that needs immediate change. using my career as the first roadmap, you’ll find “FREE GAME” on my website. ⁣ ⁣ sorry but, big questions require long answers.⁣ ⁣ all @post_____modern logic® ~ link in bio to find the whole project.

A post shared by @ virgilabloh on Oct 16, 2020 at 4:06am PDT

“As part of my long-standing initiative to see design, art, and culture more inclusive to young Black designers and those coming from non-traditional backgrounds, I wanted to assist in providing the means for them to advance on the road to ownership of their ideas and brands,” Abloh, who is also the men’s artistic director at Louis Vuitton, said in a press release. “I am launching this organic platform for widespread access to information and mentorship. The exact notions and tools that I used to formulate my career open to all. For free. I will continuously be updating this page with the aim of the betterment of all-access knowledge.”

The release of Free Game follows the unveiling of Abloh’s Post Modern Scholarship Fund, which was announced earlier this year; the fund’s mission statement is based around supplying Black students “an education in fashion via fundraising and mentorship in partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund.” Abloh’s partners in the endeavour include Evian, Farfetch, Louis Vuitton and Nike.

Click here to discover Free Game by Virgil Abloh.