Death of Virgil Abloh
The news on Sunday came with the Death of Virgil Abloh. The fashion’s most well-known black designer and the guy behind some of the most prominent men’s Louis Vuitton collections, died of cancer on November 28, 2021, at the age of 41.
Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, stated in a statement, “We are all shocked after this terrible news. Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom”.
Graffiti art, hip hop, and skateboarding culture influenced his style, which allowed for a blend of streetwear and high-end fashion.
Virgil Abloh was also recognized for his collaborations with Kanye West, for whom he produced album covers and merchandise. Virgil Abloh also worked with West as a creative director.
For over two years, Virgil heroically battled cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Since his diagnosis in 2019, he has chosen to fight his battle in solitude, undergoing multiple complex treatments while leading several prominent institutions in the fields of fashion, art, and culture.
One of Abloh’s significant milestones was his impact on the realm of footwear. He was known for cross-collaborations.
Virgil said to CNN, “My career trajectory started in design in a more traditional multidisciplinary sense, within architecture and engineering before fashion.”
He further added, “I look at my work as metaphoric — what can exist in different disciplines of design, how you can form a new design language, and engage a younger audience, across icons, using some different techniques and investigations.”
In the fashion business, Virgil Abloh was known as a Renaissance guy. Virgil’s passion for his profession and desire to open doors for others and build avenues for greater equality in art and design propelled him forward.
He planned a Louis Vuitton fashion show in Miami, Florida, corresponding with a new Louis Vuitton’s shop in the city. When he died suddenly Abloh’s partnership with West served as an inspiration for future cross-border collaborations that combined high and low.
He collaborated with Nike on a range of frothing rage sneakers that he altered with various designs and Helvetica fonts. Shortly, Virgil Abloh was a great man, and his death due to cancer is a great loss to the fashion line.
By: Bahaar Abdullah