Go Inside ‘Virgil Abloh: The Codes,’ the Pioneering Creative’s Epic Parisian Retrospective

Throughout his legendary career, Virgil Abloh was a fixture of Paris Fashion Week: appearing in that infamous street style photo; DJing legendary afterparties; and, of course, conducting blockbuster runway shows for Off-White and Louis Vuitton. And last week, as the latest edition of PFW got underway, Abloh was once again at the very center of the proceedings. On September 30, a major new exhibition entitled Virgil Abloh: The Codes opened at the Grand Palais, featuring over 1,000 pieces from the late designer’s vast archives, all curated by Abloh’s close friends and collaborators Chloe and Mahfuz Sultan.

In a testament to Abloh’s enduring legacy, ticketholders started lining up at daybreak on opening day, which happened to coincide with what would’ve been Abloh’s 45th birthday. The exhibition also drew key members of Abloh’s creative community, who flew in from all corners of the globe to celebrate his work and participate in a series of panels on September 30 organized by GQ in collaboration with the Virgil Abloh Archive. It was an occasion worthy of the multidisciplinary artist, touching on all the various worlds—fashion, art, music, industrial design, and beyond—that he impacted in his lifetime. And GQ has an exclusive video taking you inside the opening day of the first major European museum show dedicated to Abloh’s work.

The video captures the day in its entirety, starting with a tour of The Codes hosted by Abloh consigliere Luka Sabbat and Denim Tears founder Tremaine Emory, who unpack the significance of the artifacts on display, from Off-White x Chrome Hearts traffic cones to a farmers market’s worth of Louis Vuitton accessories. GQ global fashion correspondent Samuel Hine then tours the museum’s Colette installation-slash-gift shop with the influential boutique’s founder Sarah Andelman.

Next, Travis Scott leads a crowd of Abloh superfans in singing “Happy Birthday” to kick off an “Archive Talk” with Martine Rose moderated by GQ global editorial director Will Welch, in which Scott reminisces about designing T-shirts with Abloh over WhatsApp and shared an important lesson Abloh taught him: That there are more than 24 hours in a day. Welch also sits down with Chloe and Mahfuz Sultan to introduce the philosophy of The Codes, and holds an extensive conversation with Beni B, the DJ and producer who curated the music for all of Abloh’s Louis Vuitton shows. Hine also examines archival Abloh pieces with Leo Gamboa of Levi’s, while Arthur Kar invites GQ into his private garage to discuss Abloh’s relationship to cars, design, and creativity.

The Codes runs through October 9.