Kanye West and Virgil Abloh in the front row Louis Vuitton show , June 2018 . Photograph : Swan Galle
If you ’ ve never worn hockey gloves , I encourage you to try them on — they feel fun , the way fashion should feel . Thanks for the reminder , V . I think Virgil truly believed that you could insert an idea into the cycle of production and consumption that drives visual culture that could scramble it enough to meaningfully shift the status quo . I ’ m not sure how much further ahead he ’ d thought , to what end he wanted to see that system scrambled , but I think that he trusted the people who were on his wavelength more than those currently running the show , and that was enough — whatever they ’ d do would likely be better than where we were at , and even if it wasn ’ t , they deserved their shot . Virgil was an unflagging optimist , a man of faith . Rare qualities these days ”. ADAM WRAY
Writer and Editor , MONTREAL
Abloh lived in Chicago with his wife , Shannon , and their two children . He was of the Ewe ethnicity of the Volta region in Ghana . In 2019 , Abloh was diagnosed with cardiac angiosarcoma , a type of cancer , though he kept the diagnosis private . He died on November 28 , 2021 , at the age of 41 , in Chicago . LVMH with the family ' s permission paid tribute to Abloh at their planned November 30 spin-out fashion show in Miami , with a theme of , " Virgil was here ". Kanye West , Kim Kardashian West , Rihanna , A $ AP Rocky , Bella Hadid , Pharrell Williams , Tahar Rahim , Venus Williams , Joe Jonas , Ricky Martin , Jeremy Pope , 21 Savage , Joan Smalls , and Bernard Arnault attended the tribute . Louis Vuitton dedicated its window-displays worldwide , also using the dedication , " Virgil was here ". Abloh ' s private funeral took place on December 6 , 2021 in Chicago , with Drake , Rihanna , Kanye West , Kim Kardashian , Kid Cudi , Tyler , the Creator , A $ AP Rocky , Frank Ocean , Vic Mensa , Lauryn Hill , Don C , and Jerry Lorenzo attended amongst his family and other close friends .
30 Flashmag ! Issue 124 December 2021