CHICAGO, April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Athiththan Selvendran, Virgil Abloh's longtime Chief of Staff and currently the Chief Operating Officer of Virgil Abloh Securities (VAS), has been named Chief Creative Officer of the Virgil Abloh Foundation. The announcement was made by Shannon Abloh, marking an expansion of Selvendran's role and his influence as a creative force and strategist.
In his dual capacities, Selvendran (known as "Athi") will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations of VAS, the central hub for all creative projects, organizations, and brands owned by Shannon Abloh. The Virgil Abloh Foundation (VAF) serves as the philanthropic arm of VAS.
Selvendran joins Dana Loatman, who was announced as the foundation's executive director in February 2025. As Chief Creative Officer of the foundation, Athi will be responsible for the preservation, cataloging, and launch of the Virgil Abloh Archives. He will also spearhead the creative design and implementation of global initiatives and impact programming like ABLOH AIR and co-lead brand collaborations and partnerships designed to increase exposure and opportunities for aspiring creatives, cultural leaders, and community builders. Shannon Abloh established VAF in 2022 to continue the philanthropic work she and Virgil were passionate about and to uphold Virgil's legacy as a designer, visionary, and cultural pioneer.
"Watching Athi grow as a creative while helping build the Virgil Abloh Foundation has been nothing short of extraordinary. His journey has been marked by an unwavering dedication to pushing boundaries, fostering innovation, and ensuring that Virgil's visionary ethos lives on. Having spent years working alongside Virgil, Athi has developed a deep understanding of what it means to break barriers and redefine creative industries. His innate talent, sharp creative instincts, and ability to connect with people on a profound level make him the ideal person for this role," remarked Shannon Abloh.
Beginning in 2016, Selvendran played an integral role across Virgil Abloh's many entities, projects and operations, including Off-White, Louis Vuitton, and ALASKA ALASKA, the research and design-based studio founded by Abloh in 2017. Following Abloh's passing, Selvendran has worked alongside Shannon Abloh on internationally acclaimed projects that honor Virgil's legacy and impact, including Figures of Speech at the Brooklyn Museum (2022), Nike Inc. - Virgil Abloh: The Codes of Architecture, and The Annual Skate Invitational in Miami (2022, 2023, 2024), and the initial development of the Virgil Abloh Foundation.
Selvendran commented, "As I step into this role of Chief Creative Officer, my ambition and drive fuel my commitment to upholding Virgil Abloh's legacy by sharing his ethos, rhetoric, and methodology with the world, alongside Shannon Abloh and the foundation team. My desire is to build pathways that allow all young people to dream, seek, and believe in their visions, guiding them to build confidence as they grow and feel that their ideas are welcomed and that they belong in all spaces, with the ultimate goal of self-expression within any discipline without limitations. I look forward to continuing to immerse myself in this work and applying an ideological framework of bringing people together who have had their own lived experience and creative journeys to cross-pollinate, collaborate and create ongoing dialogue. My belief is that, together with all our friends, family, and collaborators, we will provide access to the next generation of young creatives by opening doors, fostering their creative energy through exposure, and architecting fruitful opportunities to become part of the future narrative of creativity."
Born in Jamaica, Queens, New York, Selvendran holds a Bachelor of Arts from Beloit College with a focus in International Relations and Entrepreneurship. He has completed certificate coursework at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, and Central Saint Martins. Additionally, he is pursuing a Global Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science.
Virgil Abloh Foundation
The Virgil Abloh Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that serves as the philanthropic arm of Virgil Abloh Securities, the creative hub that upholds the far-reaching practice, teachings and ethos of the late creative visionary, Virgil Abloh. Virgil Abloh fundamentally reshaped how we see creativity and the world around us. As the ultimate multi-hyphenate, he transformed industries, built category-creating brands, and advanced equity, collaboration, and inclusivity across disciplines. Through its local and global partnerships, mission-driven educational programs, and mentorship, the Foundation aims to build lasting, systemic change within creative industries, creating more equitable and inclusive spaces for underrepresented young creatives, cultural leaders, and changemakers in pursuit of a limitless creative future.
Contacts:
press@thevirgilablohfoundation.com
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