Rated Reads this week looks back at late designer Virgil Abloh's legacy, the analysis of online culture in Olivia Yallop's new book, 'Break the Internet', and celebrity PDAs.

What Is Virgil Abloh’s Legacy as a Clothing Designer?

Following the passing of tastemaker, innovator, DJ, designer, Off-White creator, and figurehead, Hypebeast looks back at the legacy of Virgil Abloh. From his humble beginnings with no formal fashion training to becoming one of the most celebrated and beloved designers of the new millennium, Abloh was instrumental in shaping today’s fashion landscape.

Break the Internet by Olivia Yallop review – the anxiety of influence

“In the bizarre world of the influencer, set out here in engaging style, the line between leisure and labour is increasingly blurred”, writes Eleanor Margolis for The Guardian. Olivia Yallop’s new book, Break the Internet, gives us an engaging analysis of online culture, including insights into the dizzying amounts of money influencers make, the decline of traditional media, the philosophy of fame and the excess and inequality of late capitalism. Consider us influenced.

Iris Van Herpen on raging for and against the machine

“The more abstract I go, the deeper I go, the better the designs become”.

The couturier contemplates the state of fashion today, design as meditation, and her lifelong collaboration with Björk in a new Dazed interview.

’Twas The Year Of Celebrity PDA

Celebrities made out this year with reckless public abandon – and it divided opinion. “Maybe it was the post-lockdown rush of emotion; an emphatic reaction to social distancing. Perhaps, after a year of scant public appearances, celebrities really, really wanted to remind people they existed”, writes Michelle Ruiz for British Vogue. From Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly to Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, we were reminded of the power and unpredictability of love. As Ruiz writes, “Yes, they’re performing and seeking attention, but there’s still something vaguely messy and terribly human about people so effusively expressing their love for each other while the world looks on”. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

See Inside The 2021 Fashion Awards

Our ticket must have been lost in the post…but thanks to Vogue, everyone gets a peek inside this year’s Fashion Awards. A who’s who of the biggest stars around, everyone from Dua Lipa to Paul Mescal, Munroe Bergdorf, Winnie Harlow, Maya Jama and even Kris Jenner graced the red carpet.