"Free Game," a new mentorship project from the reliably prolific Virgil Abloh, launches today.
The series was built as a response to the ongoing injustices facing the Black community, with Abloh making particular note of the disparities in opportunities still present in many of the mediums in which Abloh has become an in-demand zeitgeist shifter.
"As part of my long-standing initiative to see design, art, and culture more inclusive to young Black designers and those coming from non-traditional backgrounds, I wanted to assist in providing the means for them to advance on the road to ownership of their ideas and brands," Abloh said in a statement. "I am launching this organic platform for widespread access to information and mentorship. The exact notions and tools that I used to formulate my career open to all. For free."
Abloh added that the accompanying "Free Game" page, available here, will be continually updated as part of the overall goal of constantly improving this collection of "all-access knowledge."
Visitors to the site will now have the opportunity to take full advantage of a step-by-step guide on how to turn an idea into a full-blown brand, starting with developing a fitting name and subsequently obtaining a trademark. From there, advice on how to learn the ins and outs of Adobe Creative Suite and how to seek out personal mentors is provided, as well as much more.
Abloh is further strengthening this offering by including insight from friends and fellow artists, who will add additional insight from their own unique perspectives.
The initiation of the "Free Game" project follows the launch of Abloh's "Post Modern" Scholarship Fund, which is managed in partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund. The mission, as Abloh explained earlier this year, is to "foster equity and inclusion" in the fashion industry through the distribution of scholarships to students of Black, African-American, or African descent. As the name of the fund implies, the scholarship will include both funds and the opportunity to put Abloh-provided career support services and mentoring to use.
