Virgil Abloh Rug

By the time he celebrated his 40th birthday, Virgil Abloh had, seemingly, triumphed in every corner of the fashion and home design worlds. 

In 2013, having already worked for Fendi and partnered with Kanye West, he founded the Milan-based streetwear house Off-White. Four years later, he released the first Off-White furniture line, Grey Area. In 2018, he became the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear division, making him one of the first Black designers to head a French luxury fashion house.

Yet even with the Off-White and LV jobs, Abloh had time for a seemingly endless list of collaborations: designing shoes for Nike and Jimmy Choo, making furniture for Vitra and Ikea (“a super-dream project”), creating art with Takashi Murakami and Jenny Holzer, dressing Serena Williams and Beyoncé, co-branding with Levi’s and Evian, deejaying at Coachella and Lollapalooza.

Abloh's process was incredibly innovative — he explained that if he was inspired by an object, he didn’t want to alter it any more than necessary. “I’m only interested in editing an idea or a concept by three percent,” he said. Not surprisingly, he flirted with the limits of permissible appropriation. His first clothing line consisted of flannel Ralph Lauren shirts on which he printed the word “Pyrex.”

And his collaboration with Vitra included a version of Jean Prouvé’s Antony chair that has Plexiglass where Prouvé used plywood. In 2017, the Belgian designer Raf Simons told GQ that Abloh’s work was unoriginal. A month later, Abloh presented an Off-White collection cheekily titled Nothing New.

Browse vintage Virgil Abloh coats, shirts and other clothing and fashion accessories on 1stDibs.

Antique, new and vintage area rugs and carpets are a simple way to add warmth and style to any space. Area rugs can be seasonal or changed with other decorative objects to refresh an interior. Carpet piles materials can vary from wool and cotton to silk and synthetic fibers, and the purpose of a floor covering can range from reducing noise to offering a place to sit.

Vintage rugs can ground a space, and arranging furniture around them creates a measured focal point. Key furniture pieces can be placed on the rug or just the legs, such as with furniture like coffee tables in your living room.

So, how can you tell if a rug is high quality or vintage?

The three main components that determine the quality of a piece are the dyes, the wool and the number of knots per square inch. Ultimately, however, if you want to be sure the rug you’re buying is truly an antique, it is best to consult an expert.

If you want a creative design that stands out, area rugs or carpets can provide layers of color. Rugs and carpets reflect a global heritage of textiles and weaving, such as ornately patterned Persian and Indian designs. Visually striking Chinese rugs can add a delicate touch of color, while modern rugs make a statement with their geometric patterns.

Turkish rugs, with their ruby reds and misted blues, their entwined botanical designs and rhythmic geometries, are as beloved today as they were in the 13th century. The West’s current infatuation with Moroccan and North African tribal rugs stretches to the mid-20th century, when modern furniture designers embraced bold geometric patterns and even bolder palettes as counterpoints to form-follows-function interiors. Alvar Aalto, Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier were among the designers who used these rustic, natural rugs to offset austere interiors.

If you properly maintain your antique and vintage rugs, they will last for many years. When you’re thinking about how to clean a rug, it is important to keep in mind that your vacuum is not too harsh for your favorite floor covering. Frequent vacuuming is in fact necessary to remove everyday dirt that otherwise wears down the pile. Omri Schwartz of Nazmiyal does, however, stipulate that “it’s best to use an ordinary suction vacuum without bristles, as the bristles can damage the rug’s pile.” Rotating the carpet every couple of years is also recommended — it ensures that the rug gets even foot traffic.

On 1stDibs, find a vintage rug or carpet to add a layer of beauty and function to your room.