Fashion designer Virgil Abloh dies of cancer at 41

On Nov 28, 2021 Virgil Abloh passed away at the age of 41.

The American fashion designer and entrepreneur died in a Houston hospital after battling a rare form of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma for two years.

Abloh was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton, and he even went on to create his own brand that has gained a lot of popularity in the past couple of years, called Off-White.

Abloh inspired many different groups of people throughout many different areas with his revolutionary creations in the fashion industry. The “hypebeast” culture, along with many other individuals at HHS, are devastated about his death.

Abloh’s wife, Shannon Abloh, created a post on his Instagram account reflecting on the impactful life of Abloh. The reflection was brief, but included a lot of information about Abloh’s life and how he used fashion to inspire and connect people around the world. She finished the reflection with the words “believing deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations,” which is truly shown in all of his works.

Abloh has impacted fashion around HHS in many ways, and this generation of students showcases how much the daily style has changed from fifteen to twenty years ago.

“Virgil influenced my style in many ways, whether it helped put a twist on my average style or the use of colors, what he used was really unique,” said Nick Boemer, junior.

Boemer has built a reputation around HHS for his unique and flashy style, incorporating many of the monumental creations of Abloh in his daily outfit.

Sketch Shlaeger, junior, has also been heavily influenced by Abloh’s movements in the fashion industry.

“He influenced me by helping me find what was already there and using layers in my outfits,” Shlaeger said.

Abloh’s influence in the fashion industry has helped tie many different people together, and Schlaeger and Boemer are a good example of this occurring at HHS. Boemer and Shlaeger are big fans of Abloh’s brand, Off-White, which was founded in 2012.

“My favorite item of his are the Off-White Jordan 1s because he put a twist and changed the look of a classic shoe,” Boemer said.

“My favorite thing Abloh has made is the “Wet Grass” rug,” Shlaeger said.

Off-White has a wide variety of items, ranging from clothing to furniture. Off-White has been a staple of modern fashion.

Not only has Abloh heavily influenced the fashion industry, but he has also made his mark on the music industry, mainly in hip hop/rap. He has created album covers for a few different albums, including My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West, Luv Is Rage 2 by Lil Uzi Vert, and Watch The Throne by Jay-Z and Kanye West.