The Medium Is The Message

The following is in response to Marshall McCluhan's "The Medium Is The Message."

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Throughout his piece, McCluhan emphasizes the importance of understanding the very core of media and why it makes a difference when utilizing certain mediums of technology. While speaking about different mediums of technology and what allows them to be recognized as valuable, McCluhan uses electricity as an example and states, "For it is not till the electric light is used to spell out some brand name that it is really noticed as a medium. Then it is not the light but the "content" that is noticed" (page 2). I fundamentally am in agreement with McCluhan. Although this work was written in 1964, much of his theories still apply to new media today. Today in 2019, there is no great focus on small mediums of technology. Instead, there is a greater focus on the complete product at hand. This can be related to the popularity of social media today, in that users do not pay attention to the application and the technology behind it, and instead make the everyday use of the app their focal point.

When thinking about a designer today that significantly utilizes his own creative medium, the individual that comes to mind is Virgil Abloh. Abloh is currently the artistic director of the popular international brand, Louis Vuitton, as well as a DJ and music producer. He has only held the position of artistic director at Louis Vuitton since March of 2018, but since then, Abloh has largely impacted the fashion industry by breaking down constructs of all types.

Through the use of clothing as his overall medium, Abloh heavily influences new media in all spheres. His work has infiltrated through social media as well as mainstream American media for the past year, making headlines virtually once a week -- at least. Through producing music and designing clothing, Abloh has the power to bring awareness to his brand while creating products that can be used every day, and dispersing internationally through the use of the internet.

In a story published by W Magazine in April of 2017, Abloh was called the king of social media "superinfluencers." Abloh uses his media very appropriately, in that he captures the attention of people of all ages. He combines "old media," clothing and music, and makes it relevant to 2019 through "new media." He has brought relevance to brands that normally served baby boomers and millennials to the attention of Generation Z and beyond. Not only are his products edgy and trendy, they carry messages of resilience and elasticity.

Abloh's skill in design is exceptional. He brings minimalism to a new standard which attracts millennials. He brings meaning to fashion which attracts Generation Z. McCluhan does warn, though, that there can be danger in relying heavily on technology to spread messages. McCluhan says, "It is this aspect of new art that Kenneth Galbraith recommends to the careful study of businessmen who want to stay in business. For in the electric age there is no longer any sense in talking about the artist’s being ahead of his time. Our technology is, also, ahead of its time, if we reckon by the ability to recognize it for what it is" (page 13). McCluhan's point here is plain and simple: if an artist, designer, musician, or any other creative is looking to stay relevant in today's market, they must examine their business tactics, especially in the realm of technology. Abloh, like McCluhan, takes into consideration the methods in which he disseminates his products and information. He carefully analyzes his audience and makes his posts appealing to all who may be watching, and so far, he has been doing so very well.

Virgil Abloh has mastered his design and skill set. He has also mastered using the appropriate new media to benefit his interest in his community. With his ability to transcend the fashion industry and bringing his passions of technology and music with him on his journey, he has made a name for himself in the mainstream media at a young age. He is an inspiration to rising designers, musicians, artists, and technology buffs of all backgrounds. He encapsulates all that McCluhan emphasizes, and grows in the direction that trends are heading. He has proved to be an unstoppable force of inspiration, even in the face of hardship and headlines.