It’s a sad day for the sneakerheads and the rest of the fashion industry. Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White and Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director for menswear since 2018, has passed away last Sunday, November 28.
Not many people knew Virgil Abloh, 41, had been battling cancer privately. The news of his death comes as a shock. On his Instagram (@virgilabloh), a family member posted the news:
We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He is survived by his loving wife Shannon Abloh, his children Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh, his sister Edwina Abloh, his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh, and numerous dear friends and colleagues.
Virgil Abloh: Off-White Founder, Artistic Director for Louis Vuitton
Specifically, Abloh battled with cardiac angiosarcoma which is said to be a rare yet aggressive form of cancer. Virgil was diagnosed in 2019. He chose to battle with the sickness privately. He underwent treatments while working with several significant institutions and brands.
Virgil Abloh was a favorite here. We have featured probably dozens of Virgil Abloh’s designs. The most recent one was the Virgil Abloh x Nike Dunk Low Dear Summer collab we shared with you back in May.
Iconic Virgil Abloh Designs
A couple of years ago, there was the Nike Air Force 1 ’07 Inked by Cassius Hirst for Virgil Abloh and MCA Chicago. It’s not really Abloh’s design but the American fashion designer tapped then 19-year Cassius Hirst to paint shoes for a Church & State pop-up event at the museum. Abloh was also the one who got Cassius be a part of the NikeLab’s Chicago Re-creation Center workshops. It tells us Abloh knew talent when he saw it.
In October 2019, the Evian by Virgil Abloh x SOMA glass water bottles were released. An Evian Virgil Abloh Limited Edition Glass Bottle was sold for £3.99. It sold fast mainly because of its novelty. But then again, every bottle came out beautiful.
Before the bottles, there was the Ikea X Virgil Abloh collaboration that delivered the MARKERAD limited collection. The 15-item collection consisted of several fashion-forward products like a chair, table, rug, mirror, day bed, bed textiles, lighting, cabinet, and more accessories for the home.
In the middle of the pandemic last year, Mercedes-Benz and Virgil Abloh collaborated for Project Geländewagen. We only got to see a few teasers.
The Virgil Abloh’S LV Trainer Sneaker Boots went up for purchase earlier this year. The Off-White MOMA Sneakers design was also iconic.
Virgil Abloh was even able to come up with a Spring-Summer 2021 Menswear collection for Louis Vuitton. Of course, we also won’t forget the Off-White x Converse Chuck 70 Hi Virgil Abloh Design. We still remember the insanely priced Virgil Abloh’s airplane-shaped bag for Louis Vuitton.
We’re not sure about Abloh’s last project or design but we believe there will be collections that will be released. Any posthumous release may mean the products will be more expensive but for real fans of the designer and his brands, they won’t matter.
Virgil Abloh will remain an icon. The fashion designer has been known to transform the streetwear and luxury fashion. He was the first Black fashion designer to lead the LV menswear product line. He combined luxury and contemporary design. His approach was focused on art history, music, graphic design, and mainly the youth culture.
Rest in peace, Virgil Abloh. You will be missed.