The fashion world is paying tribute to Virgil AblohLouis Vuitton Director, who was a trailblazer and died Sunday at 41 years old.
Abloh, the artistic director for Louis Vuitton menswear and founder and CEO of fashion house Off-White, died after a private battle with a “rare, aggressive form of cancer,”According to Posts on social mediaFrom the brands.
He was a pioneer in fashion, and was the first Black artistic chief to head Louis Vuitton menswear. He was a longtime collaborator and friend of Kanye West – the two met while interning for Fendi, and Abloh went on to design several of the rapper’s iconic album covers.
West honored Abloh after his Sunday Service livestreamed performance, with a title-card that read: “In loving memory of Virgil Abloh, the creative director of Donda.”
USA TODAY reached West’s representatives to get more information.
Virgil Abloh dies at 41:A Louis Vuitton pioneer had suffered from cancer privately.
Hailey Bieber, who wore a custom Abloh design for her 2018 wedding to Justin Bieber, shared old photos of the two alongside a Long tribute.
“Virgil completely changed the way I looked at street style and fashion, the way he looked at things inspired me deeply,”She wrote. “I felt he was always rooting for me.”
Bieber added: “He was someone who always brought life, charisma, love and fun to any situation, and every room he walked into. A once in a generation creative mind that is so rare and I’ll never forget his impact.”
Colman Domingo is who Modeled Abloh’s Paris Fashion Week designs by Louis VuittonShow off the summer with shared photos of him in the bright looks “in honor of Virgil.”
“He made me feel so fly. A master craftsman,”Domingo has been added. “Thank you for your artistry.”
BTS, who modeled Abloh’s designs in a Louis Vuitton show over the summer in Seoul, called the designer “a true creative genius.”
“You will be missed,”Read a tweet from the group’s account on Twitter. “It was an honor to work with you.”
BTS takes off on the runwayThe group models new looks in Louis Vuitton’s latest menswear show in Seoul
Amanda GormanReflected on feelings “so privileged to have met you and to have worn such a beautiful piece by you designed in honor of your grandmother”Vogue May Cover.
“I knew then I was experiencing the honor of wearing a designer whose work transcends both past and present,”Gorman was added. “To rephrase something you once said, let us paint new pictures where the old ones have been erased. Rest in power king.”
Jay-Z’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, dubbed Abloh “forever an icon.”
Pharrell tweeted that his “heart is broken.”
“Virgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius your work as a human and your work as a spiritual being will live forever,”Williams also added.
Victoria Beckham Designer “a true inspiration in so many ways … We will all miss you so very much.”
“My plan is to touch the sky 1000 more times for you,” DrakeInstagram: “love you eternally brother, thank you for everything.”
“Too soon Virgil,”Tweet Idris Elba. “You will be missed from this world man.”
KehlaniAbloh’s Death “shocking.”
“This is a devastating loss to culture and fashion,”Write Tracee Ellis Ross. “What an inspiration.”
Justin TimberlakeAbloh was given the nickname. “force … taken too soon.”
“You gave the world so much, in so little time,”Timberlake was added. “And created with intensity … knowing better than the rest of us that life is short, but anything is possible. I’m honored to have known you.”
Gigi Hadid stated that she was “heartbroken by the loss of my dear friend” Abloh.
“He was 1 of 1,” Hadid An Instagram tribute was writtenThese photos are also available. “His kindness and energetic generosity left a lasting impression on every life he touched— he made everyone feel seen and special. He will be deeply missed, cherished, and celebrated by me and all the people and industries that have been lucky enough to work around & know the true supernova behind this man.”
KourtneyKhloe Kardashian,Ty Dolla $ign, DJ Khaled,The Weeknd,Katie Couric,Timothée Chalamet?, and Busta RyhmesThey also paid tribute.
Fashion brands and designers have shared their grief on social media.
“Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom,” Louis Vuitton CEO Bernard Arnault said in a statement on social media.
Designer Sergio HudsonKnown as Abloh “one of the sweetest most giving souls I’ve ever encountered on this journey through fashion.”
Hudson added: “You told me my destiny was set all I had to do was walk through the door. Those words gave me the confidence to ask for what I wanted and to push even harder. You may be gone in flesh but your breakthrough moments and incredible legacy are solidified in our memories and in history forever.”
Edward EnninfulAbloh was the editor in chief at British Vogue. “changed the fashion industry”The designer’s accomplishments were celebrated.
“Virgil believed that anything was possible for humankind, if only we could tear ourselves away from unconscious biases and norms and reassume the imagination we had as children,” Enninful wrote. “We are only seeing the beginning of his impact on the creative industries and surrounding world.”
GucciAbloh was a name that was inscribed on the official accounts of the office. “an immense inspiration to us all both as a designer and as a person.”
The brand also added: “He will be deeply missed though his vision will live on through the trails that he blazed throughout his career.”
Donatella VersaceShe said she was ” lost for words.”
“The world has lost a fashion superstar,”She shared the statement on Instagram along with a photo of Naomi Campbell and her with the designer. “An innovator. A creator for the history books. I am thinking of all your loved ones on this tragic day. Love, Donatella”
Elle editor in chief Nina GarcíaA tribute to Abloh has been written. “your creativity, your infinite sense of curiosity, your love for design, your impeccable work ethic and your enormous generosity” that shaped a creative universe and “challenged old misconceptions about how fashion should establish a dialogue with other disciplines.”
