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Drake, LeBron James, Offset And More Mourn The Death Of Designer Virgil Abloh

"My plan is to touch the sky 1000 more times for you…love you eternally brother," said Drake.

vigil abloh walking in white tee and shades
Virgil Abloh is seen outside Alyx during Paris Fashion Week - Menswear Spring/Summer 2020 on June 23, 2019 in Paris, France. Christian Vierig/Getty Images

Celebrities have shared heartfelt tributes to fashion designer Virgil Abloh in the wake of his death. Abloh died Sunday (Nov. 28) after battling a rare form of cancer. He was 41 years old. The news was revealed on his Instagram account with a statement confirming he had been battling cardiac angiosarcoma since 2019.

Abloh was the founder of luxury streetwear brand Off-White, the men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton, a creative director for Kanye West, and designed albums covers for artists ranging from Pop Smoke to 2 Chainz. Abloh is survived by his wife Shannon, his children Lowe and Grey, his sister Edwina and his parents Nee and Eunice.

Tributes to Abloh and his contributions to music, culture, and art began pouring in across social media once news of his death broke. Celebrities who worked with him in many capacities shared memories and kind words in Abloh’s honor.

“My plan is to touch the sky 1000 more times for you…love you eternally brother,” wrote rapper Drake on Instagram, sharing photos of himself and Abloh. He also shared an image of his custom Boeing 767 cargo plane, “Air Drake,” which Abloh remodeled in 2020. According to Esquire, Virgil Abloh earned a degree in civil engineering in 2002.

virgil abloh in suit and a formality tie
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Virgil Abloh, Off-White Founder And Louis Vuitton Director, Dead At 41

“thank you for everything,” the Toronto artist continued.

LeBron James, a frequent wearer of the Off-White brand shared kind words for Abloh on Sunday during the Los Angeles Lakers postgame press conference. Himself as well as teammate Anthony Davis spoke on Abloh’s legacy and being fans of his creative work.

“I think for a Black community to see someone like that,” LeBron said, “for our younger generation and the kids that look up to guys like all of us, to see a guy like Virgil break the barrier to be able to go from where he started to being able to work for Louis Vuitton and Nike and all these unbelievable companies as a Black man, it just does so much for our youth.”

“Rest In Paradise LEGEND!!!” James wrote on an Instagram post.

Migos member Offset also shared condolences to Abloh’s family online. The Atlanta-bred rapper walked the runway for Off-White during Paris Fashion Week 2019. He shared a screenshot of a recent Facetime call with the designer that ended due to a poor connection.

“Rip Virgil prayers to your family thank you for always supporting the youth always kind we just spoke bro smh,” he tweeted.

Continue to read tribute more posts below from longtime fashion collaborator and friend, Don C, Pharrell Williams, Frank Ocean, Wale, Dapper Dan, June Ambrose, Questlove, Westside Gunn, and others.

 

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