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On November 28, Virgil Abloh, the founder of popular fashion label “Off-White” died in Chicago due to a rare cancer by the name of cardiac angiosarcoma. Abloh was battling his illness for two years from his diagnosis in 2019 to his eventual demise.
Virgil Abloh tried not to attract attention towards his condition after his diagnosis, in fact, many people still did not know Abloh struggled with cancer prior to his death. Many executives and designers in the fashion industry expressed their condolences and commended Abloh in regards to his commitment to work and originality of creation.
“I’ve always regarded the Off-White brand as a milestone of the street wear industry,” said Luca W., a freshman at AISG, “the quality and craftsmanship of their hoodies are unmatched.”
Apart from his career as a designer and entrepreneur, Abloh was also a producer and artist. He first pursued a career of a DJ, describing DJing as an escape from reality and soothing to his spirits. After studying and graduating with Kanye West in 2003, they cooperated and he was motivated to create a brand of his own. A quote from Abloh himself would suffice his brand story: “My goal was to tell a dialogue between high fashion and streetwear. So, the name Off-White, in my mind, is between black and white. So, that middle ground is a mixture between both genres of fashion.”
“I think Off-White will persist as one of the most prominent streetcar brands for a long time,” said Tracey E., a junior at AISG, “Off-White’s notion is ahead of other brands by miles.”
Abloh’s brand, Off-White has recently cooperated with LVMH in July, a brand which is part of the Louis Vuitton company. Abloh was widely seen as the man who devised and negotiated for the two brands, since he is also the creative director of LVMH. However, after Abloh’s death, this cooperation will become increasingly complicated, yet only time will provide the aftermath.
Condolences to Virgil Abloh’s family. May his soul Rest In Peace.
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