Born September 30, 1980, in Rockford, Illinois to Ghanaian immigrant parents, Abhloh’s educational background deviated from the traditional route of a high fashion designer, which typically involves design school. He attended undergrad at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed a degree in civil engineering. He then went on to receive his master’s degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology — according to Vogue, a Rem Koolhaas building was installed on campus during his time at IIT, which “piqued” Abloh’s interest in fashion. And, Abloh’s mom was a seamstress, who trained him as a young man. A student of practical fields, he applied those skills to fashion, instilling himself as a multidisciplinary, multi-hyphenate creative.
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