Some would call Virgil Abloh a visionary; in an announcement of his Spring-Summer 2022 collection, Louis Vuitton called him a “creative genius.”
Abloh contributed to Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection from 2018 until his death, taking the brand to heights never seen before. He also was the Chief Executive Officer of Off-White, a Milan-based brand Abloh founded in 2012.
Abloh was a trained architect who rose to the forefront cultivating Chicago streetwear. He broke through into international fashion with Fendi in 2009. Kanye West was his biggest supporter, bringing Abloh alongside him as he broke through the music industry.
Virgil was the first African-American to be named artistic director for Louis Vuitton and, in 2018, made it to Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list.
Acclaimed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami described Abloh, saying, “Everything from the way he works to how he uses his time to how he makes his judgments is principled. The foundation of his value, or branding, is humanity itself, not a superficial trick.” Indeed nothing Virgil Abloh put his hands on was tricky.
Abloh created Pyrex Vision in 2012 using deadstock garments that he purchased from Ralph Lauren for forty dollars. He reprinted designs on the clothing and resold it for over $550.00. He collaborated with Ikea, Nike, Planned Parenthood, and he won a Grammy for Best Recording Package for his design of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s 2011 “Watch The Throne” album.
The CEO of Louis Vuitton, Bernard Arnault, stated: “We are all shocked by this terrible news [of Abloh’s death]. Virgil was not only a genius designer and a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMH family joins me in this great moment of sorrow and we are all thinking of his loved ones on the passing of their husband, father, brother, son and friend.”
Abloh was diagnosed with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that causes a tumor to block blood flow to and from the right heart chamber. Virgil kept his diagnosis private. He died on November 28 in his hometown of Chicago. He was 41 Years old.
