Paris is poised to become the epicenter of contemporary design discourse this autumn, as the Grand Palais unveils “Virgil Abloh: The Codes”—a sweeping exhibition that promises to recalibrate our understanding of creative innovation, collectivity, and cultural impact. Presented by the Virgil Abloh Archive™ in partnership with Nike, this landmark event marks the first major European retrospective devoted to the late visionary, Virgil Abloh (1980–2021). For ten days, from September 30 (Abloh’s birthday) to October 10, 2025, visitors are invited to trace nearly two decades of groundbreaking multidisciplinary practice, as hundreds of artifacts converge to narrate a singular story: how one designer’s “codes” changed the very language of fashion, footwear, art, and beyond.
The Grand Palais: A Stage for Cultural Transformation
Location is everything, and the choice of the Grand Palais—one of Paris’s most storied venues—signals the exhibition’s gravitas. The Rotonde Clemenceau, at 1 Place Clemenceau, becomes not just a gallery, but a crucible for creative dialogue, a place where the boundaries between disciplines are meant to blur and reform.
Timed to coincide with Abloh’s birthday, the exhibition’s opening is both an homage and an invitation: to celebrate not just a life, but a living legacy. The architectural scale and historic significance of the Grand Palais amplify the resonance of the work on display, encouraging visitors to contemplate the larger questions of influence, identity, and innovation in the 21st century.
- Dates: September 30 – October 10, 2025
- Opening Hours: Sep 30: 10:00am–4:00pm; Oct 1–9: 10:00am–7:30pm; late opening Oct 3 until 10:00pm
- Admission: €15 full price; €7 reduced (ages 19–25); free for ages 18 and under, students and teachers
In a move that underlines Abloh’s commitment to democratizing access and nurturing talent, all proceeds will benefit the Virgil Abloh Foundation (VAF)—a nonprofit dedicated to advancing opportunities for emerging creatives.
Virgil Abloh: Architect of the Modern Zeitgeist
To call Virgil Abloh one of the most influential designers of our era is no exaggeration. His work—spanning apparel, footwear, architecture, music, and advertising—has consistently challenged conventions, inviting audiences to reconsider what creativity can mean in the age of digital fluidity and global connectivity.
Abloh’s signature approach, distilled into what he called “codes,” was never merely about aesthetics. It was about the mechanics of transformation: the subtle tweaks, the conceptual shifts, and the collaborative ethos that defined his output from Off-White to his role as artistic director at Louis Vuitton Menswear, and through his prolific partnership with Nike. This exhibition, curated by Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan, delves into the heart of those codes, offering a panoramic view of his methodology and its enduring relevance.
By assembling hundreds of objects, prototypes, sketches, and images—selected from a staggering personal archive of 20,000 items—the curators chart the evolution of Abloh’s practice, mapping out the connective tissue between his varied pursuits. The result is not just a retrospective, but a living manifesto for creative disruption.
Unpacking the “Codes”: A Multidisciplinary Approach
At the core of the exhibition is an interrogation of Abloh’s design principles—the “codes” that thread through his work. Unlike traditional retrospectives that isolate mediums, “The Codes” lays bare the unifying logic behind Abloh’s output, revealing how apparel, footwear, architecture, music, and advertising all coalesced into a singular vision.
Visitors can expect to encounter:
- Apparel and footwear prototypes that redefined luxury and streetwear
- Architectural models and sketches, illustrating his approach to spatial design
- Music-related artifacts, highlighting his belief in cross-pollination between genres
- Advertising campaigns and graphic works, showing how Abloh leveraged visual language as a tool for commentary and community-building
- Personal library selections, offering insight into the theoretical underpinnings of his creative process
Why does this matter? Because Abloh’s codes function as more than stylistic signatures—they are the architecture of a worldview, one that privileges openness, collaboration, and constant revision. In an era obsessed with originality, Abloh argued for the power of iteration, remixing, and accessible innovation.
Curatorial Vision: Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan
The exhibition’s curators, Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan, bring an expanded vision to “The Codes,” building on the foundation of the acclaimed 2022 show. Their approach emphasizes not just the breadth of Abloh’s archive, but its dynamism—the way his ideas moved across disciplines and communities.
By foregrounding the collaborative nature of Abloh’s career, the curators reinforce the importance of collective intelligence in creative fields. Visitors are invited to see not just a lone genius, but a networked creator, whose dialogues with artists, designers, and athletes were central to his process.
In situating Abloh’s work within a broader ecosystem, Sultan and Sultan underscore a key lesson: that innovation flourishes when boundaries are porous and hierarchies are questioned.
The Ethos of Collectivity: Collaboration as Creative Praxis
One of the exhibition’s most powerful themes is its emphasis on collectivity. Abloh’s legacy is inseparable from his collaborative spirit—whether co-designing sneakers with Nike, partnering with musicians, or engaging athletes and artists in experimental projects.
This ethos is not just reflected in the objects on display, but in the structure of the exhibition itself. By highlighting the dialogues that shaped Abloh’s career, the show makes a compelling case for creative practice as a fundamentally social act.
For emerging designers and established practitioners alike, “The Codes” offers a blueprint for navigating—and thriving within—the complexities of contemporary creative industries.
The Virgil Abloh Foundation: Investing in the Next Generation
In a gesture that extends Abloh’s mission beyond the gallery walls, all ticket proceeds from the exhibition will support the Virgil Abloh Foundation (VAF). The foundation’s work—advancing creative industries and expanding opportunities for emerging talent—reflects Abloh’s unwavering commitment to mentorship and access.
This initiative is more than philanthropy; it is a strategic reinvestment in the future of creativity. By channeling resources into the hands of those who might otherwise be excluded, the foundation perpetuates the codes of openness, experimentation, and dialogue that defined Abloh’s career.
A Lasting Impact: Why “The Codes” Matters Now
“Virgil Abloh: The Codes” is not simply a tribute—it is a provocation. The exhibition asks viewers to reckon with the mechanisms of influence: How do ideas circulate? Who gets to participate? What does it mean to leave a legacy in a world defined by rapid change?
For Paris, the show is a cultural event; for the global creative community, it is an invitation to revisit the principles that animate innovation. In mapping out Abloh’s methodology, the exhibition offers both a mirror and a roadmap for anyone seeking to make a mark in the creative industries.
In an era searching for meaning, “The Codes” delivers not only answers but new questions—about the nature of creativity, the importance of collectivity, and the enduring possibility of transformation.
Key Exhibition Details at a Glance
- Exhibition: Virgil Abloh: The Codes
- Dates: September 30 (Abloh’s birthday) – October 10, 2025
- Location: Grand Palais, Rotonde Clemenceau, 1 Place Clemenceau, 75008 Paris
- Curators: Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan
- Admission: €15 full price; €7 reduced (ages 19–25); free for ages 18 and under, students, and teachers
- Proceeds: Benefit the Virgil Abloh Foundation (VAF)
Conclusion: A Living Archive, An Enduring Dialogue
As the doors of the Grand Palais open to “Virgil Abloh: The Codes,” Paris will host not just an exhibition, but a dynamic conversation about what it means to create, collaborate, and leave a mark. Drawing from a personal archive of 20,000 objects, the show offers an unprecedented look at the intellect and intuition behind one of the century’s most influential designers.
For those who enter, the message is clear: creativity is collective, codes are meant to be broken, and legacy is built in dialogue with the world. As the Virgil Abloh Foundation invests in the next generation, the exhibition itself becomes a living archive—one that invites us all to participate in the ongoing project of cultural transformation.
