Let’s Keep It Two Virgils: Streetwear Is Disconnected From the Culture

By telling on themselves, Virgil Abloh and Don C accentuated a growing disconnect with consumers

Virgil Abloh backstage at Paris Fashion Week in February 2020. Photo: Richard Bord/Getty Images

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In 2020, what we mean by the term “streetwear” is virtually unrecognizable from its origin. At its genesis, the confluence of skate culture and hip-hop created a means for people to express themselves aesthetically outside the conventions — and prices — of mainstream style. This aspect fostered the community Virgil Abloh lamented in comments he made during the first weekend of demonstrations following George Floyd’s death. “Streetwear is a community,” he said. “It’s groups of friends that have a common bond. We hang out on street corners, fight with each other, fight for each other.”

Left unsaid in this statement is that as the price of these garments have risen, the groups of friends who could afford to congregate around streetwear changed. This, coupled with the internet’s ability to push the same goods onto everyone in the world, has created a bottleneck effect. If things are affordable, they’ll be restricted by availability (like Supreme). If they’re readily available, they’ll be prohibitively…