In Remembrance: "Thank you, Virgil Abloh."
Just days before Virgil Abloh’s final runway presentation for Louis Vuitton in Miami, FL, the fashion industry faced a collective mourning unlike anything in recent memory. After the news broke on Abloh’s official Instagram Sunday, November 28th, the entire fashion, music, and art community shared their immense grief over this unforeseen tragic loss. Abloh privately battled a rare and aggressive form of cancer over the last two years. Due to Abloh’s private nature and supernatural ability to balance Louis Vuitton’s Menswear, Off-White, DJ-ing, and several other art projects, no one suspected he’d suddenly pass at the young age of 41.
Over the past 72 hours since the news broke, I’ve been scrolling through social media to read each and every thoughtful post, see shared personal photos, and shared memories of those impacted by Virgil’s life. The sheer number of individuals - from those closest to him, to fans who may have just a single selfie with the designer at one of his DJ sets- have all been so greatly impacted by what Virgil has done for this industry & this world. The most touching element to me is that no matter who you were, what your position was, or who you knew, Virgil made everyone feel important and gave them some of his time which in hindsight is even more special considering he didn’t spend much time on this earth. You never really know what one's impact will be in the moment - you see milestones that you know are important, but never know how many people collectively take notice of them. When Virgil was announced as Men’s artistic director at Louis Vuitton back in 2018 - I knew how big a barrier had just been knocked down - and even more so at his debut collection for SS19. His work seemed as if it was just beginning considering his long journey from Pyrex Vision, Been Trill, and Off-White.
To go from not being let into shows back in 2009 when Kanye, Taz Arnold, Ibn, Don C posed for the iconic Tommy Ton photo to be appointed to Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton just 10 years later is no small feat. Virgil made us believe that a kid from Chicago who went to school for architecture in Wisconsin, with no formal training in fashion could have a seat at the highest of tables. He made us dream that this world was possible for us too. He paved the way for all us to chase our dreams. He was an innovator, artist, architect, and most importantly, an outstanding person.
When Off-White launched in 2012, I was a high school student living in Fort Worth, Texas viewing the fashion world through a newly launched app called Instagram. This was my very first education into this world. I wasn’t surrounded by fashion creatives or those who had deep roots in skate culture or music. The internet & social media was still vaguely new and with vast amounts of information available, it was hard to know where to look. Tumblr & Instagram quickly became my digest for discovering new brands, designers, and people who lived these amazing lives through fashion. Virgil was one of the first people I began following to discover this new world. Watching his journey with Pyrex, working with Ye on DONDA, and launching Off-White- I was personally inspired to journey into this industry. Ultimately these forces were the sole inspiration and purpose of Fashion Moves Forward. Looking back, Fashion Moves Forward was founded out of curiosity, the eagerness to learn from others and to help others navigate the men’s fashion industry. A quote from Virgil that always resonated with me is “Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself.” I never understood that as greatly as I do now. Virgil did everything with this intent- looking back at every article I have ever written about Virgil it is amazing how much he was able to accomplish on borrowed time. To know that Virgil knew his time on Earth was limited but maximized every moment, every interaction, and helped open the doors for countless people will be something I will always remember.
Words can’t fully describe the immeasurable loss of Virgil Abloh. Virgil broke down all barriers of what it means to be a designer and changed the perception of one of the most iconic luxury fashion houses, nearly changing the entire industry in the process. Virgil, you changed my life & inspired countless people with your character & your creations. You inspired us to dream & rethink tradition. I can’t entirely put into words what you did for me and how you changed my life. I was lucky to meet you on a few occasions and photograph you and your work. Thank you for being an endless source of inspiration. Thank you for changing the world. Thank you for being the one and only Virgil Abloh. You will never be forgotten. Rest in Paradise Virgil.