Virgil Abloh.Photo: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty
Virgil Abloh’s widow paid tribute to the late designer just months after hisdeathat age 41 in November after a two-year battle with cancer.
“One of the things I always admired about Virgil was his deep sense of compassion and care for others,” Shannon Abloh shared during a speech at the Fashion Scholarship Fund’s 85th Annual Awards on Monday in New York City.
She continued, “He believed that being a leader meant serving others in need. And he felt a tremendous sense of purpose in opening doors for others.”
According to Shannon, 40, “When he would say, ‘Everything legacy left behind I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,’ he of course wasn’t talking about himself. He was talking about every young person who has ever dreamed of becoming something … but felt discouraged because they couldn’t see themselves represented in these industries.”
In 2018, Abloh became the first African American to lead a European fashion house when he becameArtistic Director of Louis Vuitton Mens.
Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com
“Founding the “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund represented a major milestone for Virgil and his work,” said Shannon. “His dream is to establish an institution that would help to make fashion a more equal, more inclusive place.”
She added, “It meant the world to him to be able to provide scholarships for Black students because he believed deeply in the power of education.”
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When the Abloh familyannounced the designer’s deathin November on Instagram, they wrote, “We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend.”
source: people.com
