Tyler, The Creator has eulogized the late Virgil Abloh as a game changer and a “cheerleader” for other artists, himself included.
“Sir Abloh was a true geek about things,” writes Tyler in a social post. “Passion seeped through everything he did. Whether a random set of songs we’ve never heard or what pantone the wing of a plane should be, he always meant it.”
The former Louis Vuitton and Off-White designer, who passed away on Sunday (Nov. 29) following a secret battle with a rare cancer, left his mark.
Tyler remembered Abloh for always pushing art forward (“he kept upping it, every single time”), and for striding through life with confidence in his heritage, something that has rubbed off on others.
“ABLOH. that strong African last name,” notes Tyler. “Few years back I started using more of my African last name OKONMA because of how regal Virgil’s felt.”
In addition to his contributions in fashion, Abloh was a DJ and served as Kanye West’s longtime creative director. He also helped design iconic album covers by West, A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert and Pop Smoke, and teamed up with Kid Cudi on the Kurt Cobain-inspired floral print dress worn by the rapper during Saturday Night Live appearance earlier in the year.
“Sometimes, part of us sharing our wild ideas is to get approval from our peers to keep it pushing, but Virgil was always a cheerleader. For everyone,” Tyler explains. “That hand of his opened doors, lead people in and tossed the keys outside for the next person to have.”
Thanks in part to the fine work of Abloh, “I’ll keep pushing and trying things while leaving the door open,” Tyler writes.
Read the full post below.
