Virgil Abloh Archive Launches First Print Publication, Free Membership

Virgil Abloh Archive’s first-ever printed publication, The Virgil Reader Vol. 001, is now available for pre-order.

Per Shannon Abloh, co-founder and CEO of Virgil Abloh Securities, the Reader launch is part of a larger mission inspired by the core beliefs of her late husband.

“Virgil believed deeply in sharing knowledge and opening doors. The Archive and Foundation are my commitment to carrying that forward, making his work accessible, contextualized, and meaningful for future generations,” Shannon said in a statement provided to Complex. “Through the launch of the Archive Membership and The Virgil Reader Vol. 001, we are inviting the public into that process, with moments of connection and collaboration still ahead.”

The inaugural publication—featuring a foreword from i-D editor Thom Bettridge, plus interviews and archival materials—is available as a pre-order here for $55. In tandem with Reader, the Archive is also opening up a free public membership option. Sign-up, available here, provides members with access to a digital Reader excerpt, Archive newsletter, and more.

For those unfamiliar, Virgil Abloh Archive is a collection of more than 20,000 objects intended to serve as “an evolving record of [Virgil’s] work and worldview.” The project is privately stewarded and supported by Shannon.

Below, get a closer look at The Virgil Reader Vol. 001. In celebration of the dual launch, the Archive is hosting a special activation in Los Angeles. The event runs two days, March 14 and March 15, and is set to feature talks and screenings, plus more.

Virgil, who had a rare type of influence that truly transcended mediums, died in 2021 at the age of 41 after a private cancer battle. Both his work and ethos have remained omnipresent in the years since, and with the continued work of the Archive, that legacy should only grow stronger.