Celebrities are mourning the death of fashion icon Virgil Abloh, who died at age of 41 after a two-year-long battle with cancer [1]. The trailblazer's family confirmed his passing [2] on 28 Nov. "We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend," the family said. "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." They went on to share that Virgil had been privately battling a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma, since 2019. The statement continued: "Virgil was driven by his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design. He often said, 'Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,' believing deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations."
Tributes from Virgil's peers and friends have continued to pour in as loved ones reflect on the legacy of the designer, who made history as the first Black man to lead a French luxury fashion house. "Virgil completely changed the way I looked at street style and fashion," Hailey Bieber [3] wrote in an emotional Instagram post. Gigi Hadid [4] shared a similar sentiment: "His kindness and energetic generosity left a lasting impression on every life he touched— he made everyone feel seen and special." See how celebrities are remembering Virgil ahead.
Gigi Hadid
"I am heartbroken by the loss of my dear friend, and a friend to the world, Virgil Abloh.
He was 1 of 1," Gigi captioned a carousel of candid photos [5] with Virgil. "His kindness and energetic generosity left a lasting impression on every life he touched— he made everyone feel seen and special. He will be deeply missed, cherished, and celebrated by me and all the people and industries that have been lucky enough to work around & know the true supernova behind this man."
The supermodel continued, "I picture him now like our Mickey Mouse .. forever with us, forever adored, forever magical, forever guiding us with that special Virgil FUN; I'm sure that's how he wanted to be remembered, but still it will never be the same without him in the room."
Hailey Bieber
"Virgil completely changed the way I looked at street style and fashion, the way he looked at things inspired me deeply," Hailey captioned a photo of herself wearing the wedding dress [6] Virgil created for her big day. "I will never be able to fully express how grateful I am to have known him and worked with him, from walking on his runways to having him design my wedding dress and all the other amazing moments in between, I felt he was always rooting for me.
She added, "He was someone who always brought life, charisma, love and fun to any situation, and every room he walked into. A once in a generation creative mind that is so rare and I'll never forget his impact. We love you Virgil. 🤍"
Victoria Beckham
"A true inspiration in so many ways. Rest in peace @virgilabloh," the fellow fashion designer wrote on Instagram [7]. "Sending love and light to your beautiful family 🙏🏼 We will all miss you so very much x"