“Toggling between biography and cultural history, Givhan . . . offers an illuminating analysis of [Virgil] Abloh’s middle-class, first-generation American upbringing, one that suggests his quiet confidence and seeming unflappability were deliberately cultivated.”—The New York Times
“Legendary . . . incisive and unflinching . . . One of [Givhan’s] gifts is the acute power of observation.”—SSENSE Magazine
“Many journalists can vividly describe what’s around them, but only the most talented can identify—in pretty much any public figure, any public event—worlds of meaning that the rest of us miss. That’s what Robin Givhan . . . does in her new book, Make It Ours.”—Frank Bruni, The New York Times
“Givhan’s prose is elegant and cutting. [She] has written the definitive portrait of Virgil Abloh . . . a story about the future of fashion, and who deserves to shape it.”—DSCENE
“Robin’s look into the life and work of the late, great, Virgil Abloh is thoughtful, intelligent, honest, and masterfully crafted. Virgil’s freethinking and influence on the possibilities of what creativity can be was a tour de force.”—Marc Jacobs, founding creative director of Louis Vuitton ready-to-wear
“Virgil was a rule breaker who always had his finger on the pulse, and Robin Givhan’s unique perspective and meticulous research expertly chronicles his unconventional path and meteoric rise in fashion. Thought-provoking, emotional, and illuminating, this book is a definite must-read!”—Tom Ford, designer and filmmaker
“Virgil Abloh . . . changed the way upper echelons of the [fashion] industry engage with younger generations and even social media. In Make It Ours, [Robin Givhan] captures that shift with the kind of clarity and nuance that honors the late designer’s many layers. There’s never been a book like this.”—ESSENCE
“Givhan tells the story of Virgil Abloh not just from the facts of where and when he was born and where he grew up, but what he stood for and what he wanted to communicate with the work he was doing. . . . Make It Ours is not just a classic biography.”—Political Fashion
“Make It Ours is more than a biography of Abloh’s rise and reign in the fashion world. Givhan deftly balances her intimate portrait of him with analysis of how the fashion industry has dealt with race and racism over the past century. She shows how Black men who have made it to the apex of fashion managed to do it.”—The Washington Post
“Make It Ours [is] informed by a deep curiosity. . . . The book is filled with industry anecdotes that’ll thrill any fashion fan.”—W Magazine
“Robin Givhan’s powerful new book explores a fashion legacy—and a life—that stretched far beyond labels. . . . The book is less a biography than it is a study of success in fashion and culture: the parameters around it, the roadblocks toward it, the precedents others have set for it.”—Harper’s Bazaar
“A brilliant, captivating book. Make It Ours makes the case for a true cultural giant.”—Elaine Welteroth, bestselling author of More Than Enough
“Virgil’s journey from humble beginnings to the top of the fashion industry is one that needs to be studied. Make It Ours is a thrilling journey into the mind of a genius.”—Edward Enninful, former editor in chief of British Vogue
“[Make It Ours] chronicles the intersection of a man and a moment, a time of disruptive change in the fashion industry, and a figure who was uniquely primed to seize that opportunity.”—ELLE
“[Givhan’s] sharp blend of biography, cultural history, and fashion criticism . . . reconsiders the meaning of luxury and who gets to decide.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“[Make It Ours] amply displays [Givhan’s] deep knowledge of the fashion industry and her understanding of how history, culture, and systems of oppression shape style.”—Kirkus Reviews