As a first-generation American with roots in West Africa, my life echoes Virgil Abloh's in quite a few ways. Virgil, a double alumnus, held a master's degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, earned post his bachelor's degree in civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My twenties saw me immersed in academia, akin to Virgil, with design remaining an unchartered territory.

Witnessing Virgil challenge, dismantle, and redefine the conventions of the fashion industry - finally culminating in his ascent as the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear line in 2018 - injected a shot of courage into my creative aspirations, which, at the time, were merely moonlight pursuits. This gratitude towards Virgil is eternal, and I channel it into this collection as a token of tribute.