Virgil Abloh

An acclaimed American designer, entrepreneur, and DJ, Virgil Abloh rose through the luxury fashion world alongside friend and collaborator Kanye West at the tail-end of the 2000s. Known for his Milan-based fashion brand Off-White, he made history in 2018 when he became artistic director for Louis Vuitton, making him the first Black man to direct a French luxury fashion house. Also a DJ, Abloh released his first single that same year in collaboration with German electronic producer Boys Noize. In early 2021 he returned to recording with the single "Delicate Limbs." On November 28tof that same year he died of complications from cancer.

Born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Abloh was trained as an architect, getting his master's from Illinois Institute of Technology. During this period, he also became interested in fashion, designing T-shirts in Chicago and writing for a fashion blog. In 2009, he and rapper/designer Kanye West interned together for Italian fashion house Fendi. While living in Rome, the two developed an artistic collaboration that eventually led to Abloh becoming creative director for West's DONDA agency and working on the latter's 2012 LP with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne. That same year, Abloh founded the successful fashion house Off-White and remains its CEO.

A DJ since his teenage years, Abloh continued with his musical pursuits throughout his fashion career, making international appearances at Hï Ibiza and the Tomorrowland Festival. He teamed up with Germany's Boys Noize and released his first single, "Orvnge," in 2018. The following year, Abloh was asked by the Pioneer brand to collaborate on the design of a pair of turntables, and he also took a residency post as DJ for Wynn Las Vegas' XS Nightclub. Abloh returned to recording in January 2021, working with singer serpentwithfeet on the track "Delicate Limbs." Although he hadn't made the news public, Abloh had been diagnosed with cardiac angiosarcoma in 2019 and subsequently died from the disease on November 28, 2021 in Chicago. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi