By Ava Riddle

On November 28, fashion designer Virgil Abloh died at 41 years old from a rare form of cancer known as cardiac angiosarcoma. The news shocked the world, as Abloh chose to fight his two-year battle with cancer in private. 

Alboh in Paris. Photo credit: @virgilabloh on Instagram.

Abloh was a trailblazer for the community of fashion and design. He entered the fashion world in 2009 as a Fendi intern, alongside Kanye West. At that year’s Paris Fashion Week, Abloh and West were both able to make a name in design for themselves and their eye-catching styles. They took an iconic photo at one of the shows that week, in which both men wore bright colors and layered multiple pieces together. After the show, Abloh explained their fashion choices that day to W Magazine, “We were a generation that was interested in fashion and weren’t supposed to be there…In a lot of ways, it felt like we were bringing more excitement than the industry was.”

West and Abloh with friends at the 2009 Paris Fashion Week. Photo credit: Tommy Ton.

In the coming years, Abloh worked as a creative director for multiple hip-hop artists. In 2010, he became the creative director of Donda, West’s creative agency. He was even able to earn a Grammy nomination in 2011 for his art direction on JAY-Z and West’s album Watch the Throne. 

One of Abloh’s most profound moments in his career was in 2013, when he founded the fashion brand “Off-White.” After scrapping his first fashion brand, Pyrex Vision, once controversy sparked over its overpriced Ralph Lauren flannel, Abloh created “Off-White” with a brand new vision. “Off-White” was going to be different from Pyrex Vision through its multi-dimensional designs. 

“Off-White” shoes. Photo credit: @off____white on Instagram.

The name “Off-White” came from the company’s union of streetwear culture with luxury fashion, defined by Alboh as “the gray area between black and white as the color ‘Off-White.’” The main signature of the brand was (and remains now) its usage of quotation marks. Abloh told Fast Company in 2019 that his use of quotation marks was, “a device, it’s a contextualization of a word without getting into the design… I can be literal and figurative at the same time, or not.”

“Off-White” has been a popular brand ever since its creation in 2012. In 2018, the company was named “the hottest brand on the planet” by the Lyst index, a quarterly index that ranks fashion’s hottest brands and products. The company remains a staple in pop culture even today. More recently, “Off-White” circulated in the media when rapper Kid Cudi wore an “Off-White” dress as a tribute to alternative rock band Nirvana founder Kurt Cobain on his Saturday Night Live performance on April 10. 

Cudi on Saturday Night Live in an “Off-White” dress. Photo credit: @kidcudi on Instagram.

The announcement of Abloh’s death on his official Instagram discussed how around the time of his cancer diagnosis and treatment, he was still working incredibly hard in his career, explaining that, “Through it all, his work ethic, infinite curiosity, and optimism never wavered.” Within the past three years, he became the artistic director of Louis Vitton’s menswear collection and was given an exhibit for his artwork in the Contemporary Art Museum in Chicago. 

He seemed to be at the peak of his career, so when he tragically died in November, the world was stunned.

Famous athletes, models, and rappers across the globe mourned the loss of Abloh on social media. Tennis player Serena Williams expressed on her instagram, “Words cannot express the sorrow I feel on the passing of my friend @virgilabloh…I will forever be grateful to have had the opportunity to witness such greatness, such genius and to feel the warmth of his smile.” Another friend of Abloh, model Gigi Hadid, posted a series of photos with Abloh on Instagram, captioned with, “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.” 

Rapper Kid Cudi tweeted “Our last text was Saturday morning. Im glad I got to tell u how I felt about u. Im happy u didnt leave here not knowing. I love you Virg FOREVER.” And, in a touching sentiment, Abloh’s long-time friend Kanye West dedicated his Sunday Service, a live-streamed musical performance, to him. 

Display at Abloh’s final show. Photo credit: Luke Leitch.

Statue of Abloh and Louis Vuitton hot air balloon at his final show. Photo credit: Louis Vuitton.

In addition to social media posts, Abloh’s company “Off-White” was able to put on his final fashion show for Louis Vuitton after his death. The show took place in Miami, Florida two days after his death and seemed to be planned ahead of time by Abloh, knowing his fate. There was a neon sign planted in the sky that read “Virgil Was Here,” as well as a monumental statue of Abloh juxtaposed between the show and a giant Louis Vuitton balloon. Many speculate that the statue’s proximity to the balloon was a metaphor for Abloh’s journey to the afterlife, as though the balloon was carrying him up to the heavens. 

​​Before the fashion show began, Micheal Burke, the CEO of Louis Vuitton, gave his regards for Abloh, stating that “He used the platform he had to break boundaries, to open doors, to shed light on his creative passions—art, design, music, and of course, fashion—so that everybody could see inside—not only to dream of being part of that world but to also find ways to make that dream a reality.”

Abloh’s story, yet tragic in its ending, has been able to inspire so many within the fashion industry and beyond. Abloh leaves behind a great legacy of pushing the boundaries of traditional fashion, and designers will continue to learn from him for years to come.