The Art and Design World Pays Tribute to Fashion Trailblazer Virgil Abloh
The beloved fashion designer, who was Louis Vuitton’s first Black artistic director, passed away after battling a rare cancer
When it was announced Sunday that creative pioneer Virgil Abloh, the first Black artistic director of Louis Vuitton, had passed away at age 41 due to a rare cancer, the outpouring of love and support for his family was swift. “We are all shocked after this terrible news,” said Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH. “Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom.”
Hailed for bridging the divide between streetwear and high fashion with the launch of his brand Off-White in 2013, Illinois-born Abloh also conjured furniture and objects for Galerie Kreo, Vitra, Ikea, and under his London-based studio, Alaska Alaska. Additionally, he had his hand in visual arts, music, architecture, and graphic design—all of which were encapsulated in his lauded 2019 retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The show, dubbed “Figures of Speech,” was so successful that it traveled both nationally and internationally—and it’s currently on view at the Fire Station in Qatar. Gone far too early, Abloh’s immense contributions are bound to inspire generations to come.
See below for more touching tributes.
