Abloh prints at Sotheby's to fund UK, US fashion scholarships

Sotheby’s opened bidding today on a rare set of four screenprints by Virgil Abloh, with estimated proceeds of up to $10,000 earmarked for a new university scholarship fund. The works, numbered four out of an edition of ten, went on view yesterday at the auction house’s New York headquarters.

The sale tests the resilience of the late designer’s secondary market. Abloh, who died in 2021 at age 41, fundamentally altered the European luxury landscape during his tenure as artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear. He was the first Black person to hold the position at the LVMH flagship brand.

Auction results since his death suggest sustained commercial demand for his art and design objects. Individual lithographs have sold for around $4,000, while custom Nike sneakers command premium prices. The market peaked in 2022 when a stainless steel and aluminium sculpture sold for a record $405,000 at Christie’s Paris.

“His extraordinary body of work has huge fans around the world, who are typically keen to buy any works touched by his magic,” said Simon Shaw, a Sotheby’s senior adviser. Shaw noted that Abloh has “an established track record as a printmaker, where examples have sold for upwards of $25,000.”

The prints on offer date to 2015, featuring text and lettering similar to a limited-edition T-shirt Abloh redesigned for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Proceeds from the Sotheby’s sale will flow to the Virgil Abloh Foundation, which is spearheaded by his widow, Shannon Abloh.

For European institutions, the foundation’s expansion carries tangible significance. It already funds a scholarship for Black British students at the Royal College of Art in London. The new Wisconsin scholarship will support students in design, textile engineering, art and music.

Athiththan Selvendran, the foundation’s chief creative officer, said Abloh viewed education as a vital tool for creative expansion. The scholarships, he added, “continue her mission to open doors, break barriers and foster a more equitable and inclusive industry for under-represented young creatives, cultural leaders and changemakers.”