Virgil Abloh Reshaped Celebrity Fashion With a Legacy of Unforgettable Looks

The news of Virgil Abloh's untimely death [1] on 28 Nov., after he privately battled a rare form of cancer, shook the fashion industry to its core. What followed was an outpouring of tributes [2] to the husband, father, and friend via social media that emphasised just how much the designer's impact was felt in such little time. Those who knew Virgil personally recalled the 41-year-old's character first and foremost, remembering him as "one of the kindest people you could meet" with "energetic generosity." What even fans and supporters who may have never come face to face with the Illinois native can agree on is Virgil's undeniably artistic vision, one that has disrupted and reshaped street style.

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 16: A model walks the runway during the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall/Winter 2020-2021 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 16, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Peter White/Getty Images)

Image Source: Getty / Peter White [3]
A look from Virgil's fall/winter 2020 show for Louis Vuitton that was later worn by Gigi Hadid.

Encompassing everything from Virgil's signature quotation marks and stripes to the zip-tie tags incorporated into his footwear, the accomplished creative leaves behind a number of instantly recognisable designs [4] from his time both with his own 2012-founded label, Off-White, and as the artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton since his appointing in 2018. Now, his work is not only synonymous with streetwear culture but also widely regarded as a key contributing factor to the blurring of the lines between high and street fashion. Having built a cult following in his early days of designing, Virgil's brands became celebrity favourites, beloved by trendsetters from Kendall Jenner to Jennifer Lopez [5], and the street style photographs prove it. Ahead, here a few memorable celebrity outfits Virgil had a hand in – though they only just scratch the surface of the mark he leaves behind.