On Nov. 28th, Virgil Abloh died at 41-years-old after losing a fight with cancer. He will forever be remembered as a fashion powerhouse.
Abloh launched his brand Off-White eight years ago, and many know Abloh for the effect he had in the fashion industry in such a short time. Abloh was also the men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton. He was the first African American to ever hold this position, according to Fortune.
Abloh was a man of many talents. He earned his master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He later used these skills to help redesign a private airplane for rapper Drake, showing his appreciation for the design on Instagram.
Abloh also was skilled in graphic design. He designed an album for late rapper Pop Smoke in June 2020 after Pop Smoke and Abloh talked about collaboration for the album cover. Unfortunately, Pop Smoke died before releasing his debut album and didn’t have a chance to finalize a design for the album cover. Abloh created the album cover based on the conversations he shared with Pop Smoke and paid homage to the young rapper's life on his initial design for the cover. He agreed to redesign the album cover when Pop Smoke’s fans did not react well to his first design, according to GQ.
Abloh was a close friend of rapper and designer Kanye West, who is also the founder of clothing and shoe brand, Yeezy. West and his entire family attended the Louis Vuitton fashion show on Nov. 30, dedicated to the life of Abloh. West and Abloh collaborated on many projects together. Abloh was West’s creative director for years before Abloh began working with Louis Vuitton. He also was the art director for West and Jay-Z’s album “Watch the Throne.” Abloh’s work with this album earned him a grammy nod for best recording package.
Abloh’s death was a shock to many of his fans because he never spoke about his illness to the public.
Abloh’s hard work and talent inspired many people. He left behind a legacy as a designer, fashion mogul and a visionary that will be remembered forever.
