The fashion world is paying tribute to Virgil Abloh, the designer and artistic director who died yesterday after a two year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. The artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear and founder of luxury streetwear brand Off White was loved by colleagues and collaborators alike for his visionary approach; most particularly, his ability to blend what was happening in the zeitgeist with the traditions of the fashion establishment.

Main image: Gigi Hadid and Virgil Abloh attend the 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City, Shutterstock.

Born in Illinois and the son of Ghanaian immigrants, Abloh’s idiosyncratic approach to fashion saw him collaborate with brands such as Evian, Nike and IKEA. Throughout his career, he garnered comparisons to Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol and Karl Lagerfeld. 

In a statement, chairman of  LVMH Moët Hennessy Bernard Arnault paid tribute to the designer saying, “Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom.”

According to the New York Times, Abloh’s promotion within the LVMH group in 2020 made him “the most powerful Black executive in the most powerful luxury group in the world”. Speaking of the lack of diversity in the fashion industry Abloh told the New York Times, “There are people around this room who look like me. You never saw that before in fashion. The people have changed, and so fashion had to.”

In an Instagram post, Abloh’s wife Shannon Abloh cited the designer’s unyielding dynamism and empathy: “…his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design. He often said, ‘Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,’  believing deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations.”