Virgil Abloh Earns Animated Costume Design Credit for ‘Entergalactic’

One thing that is inherently true about the late Virgil Abloh is that he added a high level of ‘cool’ to everything he was a part of. From spinning the latest electronic dance hits in the DJ booth to becoming the first Black man to run Louis Vuitton Menswear, Virgil raised the bar every time. During the pandemic, in lieu of a traditional runway show, Virgil produced and directed an animated short film to showcase his Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring-Summer 2021 collection. True to fashion, Virgil’s legacy lives on and his latest work of art extends beyond the runway as the Costume Designer of Netflix’s animated romantic comedy Entergalactic.

Costume design in animated features has reached levels of artistry never seen before, thanks in large part to advances in C.G.I. that have made previously impossible fashions possible. Back in the glory days of hand-drawn animation, every outfit, and every bead and button on it, had to be hand-painted, frame by agonizing frame, which meant that Cinderella’s dress from 1950, say, while lovely, is remarkably unadorned. Today, computers can do in moments what used to take months, allowing animated clothing to become more detailed and intricate. And as the garments have evolved, the relatively obscure field of costume design in animation has become increasingly prominent — and celebrated.

When it came to defining the fashion details of Entergalactic, creator Kid Cudi made sure that each character wore something different in every single espisode. Executive producer Kenya Barris told how they made sure each character stayed true to contemporary trends and aesthetics.

Kudi Cudi, in an interview in conjunction with the series on Netflix’s YouTube channel, spoke of his friend Virgil’s untold legacy and how he consistently represents a decisive inspiration, as well as reiterating how integral Abloh’s work for the series was to the story itself.

Watch the full video below.