Virgil Abloh was a well-known fashion designer and director who passed away at 41 years old.
He was described as a “true multi-hyphenate” who also made history by becoming Louis Vuitton’s very first African American director, as well as the founder of Off-White.
While directing at Louis Vuitton prior to his death, Abloh was mentioned to have brought a “younger demographic, with menswear collections that blurred the lines between high fashion and streetwear.” It is also mentioned in CNN style that he “pushed artistic boundaries and challenged gender norms.” This meant that Abloh believed in equal gender rights for both men and women.
He has also been recognized for doing footwear collaborations with brands like Nike. Aside from this, Abloh has also done other collaborations with musicians, like rapper, Kanye West, and his design agent, Donda.
Abloh also took interest in collaborating with car companies, such as Mercedes Benz and IKEA. This led him to more success and fortune. According to CNN style, he was noted as “one of fashion’s most powerful black men” due to the lack of diversity in the industry.
Hailey Bieber took to Instagram to write her memory of Abloh, stating how he had inspired her.
“Virgil completely changed the way I looked at street style and fashion, the way he looked at things inspired me deeply,” she said in her post.