Virgil Abloh and Bella Hadid on How to Blaze Your Own Trail and Help Others Do the Same

“We’re all mounting our own quiet revolution,” Virgil Abloh, creator and founder of Off-White and Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton Men’s said today at Vogue’s Forces of Fashion summit. On a panel with his friend model Bella Hadid and Vogue Creative Editorial Director Mark Guiducci, the designer discussed how everyone has the opportunity to make change and advocate what they believe in, whether on social media, at work, or between friends. Titled “Blazing a Trail,” the talk focused on how Hadid and Abloh got to the top of the fashion industry, and how they’re helping others to do the same.

It boils down to community—creating one and supporting it. As Abloh puts it, “the fun part must also equal advocating and speaking up and creating inroads for people.” He has recently launched two initiatives to support young people: a merit-based scholarship fund and an online database that is essentially How To Start a Brand 101. For Hadid, her massive social media presence (35.4 million followers on Instagram and counting!) also allows her to advocate for causes she’s passionate about, such as voter registration, and uplift the people who work behind-the-scenes on her modelling shoots. The two are united in a vision of the fashion industry that is centered around empathy. 

The friends talk about the importance of growing their community and challenging each other to have difficult conversations, who they are currently inspired by and rooting for, and how to achieve a work-life balance when you’re striving to be the best. Watch their conversation and others featuring luminaries such as Jonathan Anderson, Naomi Campbell, and Alber Elbaz, at Vogue’s virtual Forces of Fashion summit.

Buy tickets to Forces of Fashion here.