Chicago Artists Remember Fashion Icon Virgil Abloh
By Mikayla Price and Jamaica Ponder
CHICAGO (CBS) -- On Sunday, November 28, the world stopped when the news broke. Just a month after his 41st birthday, fashion and culture icon Virgil Abloh had died.
It's hard to sum up his seemingly infinite impact. From creating a scholarship fund, renovating basketball facilities in Garfield park, building a state park in Ghana to what he is known for best: Bridging the gap between streetwear and luxury brands.
At the time of his death, he was at the peak of his career. In July, the iconic luxury brand Louis Vuitton announced their major investment into his brand, Off-White, and built a partnership with Abloh.
He worked tirelessly while battling a secret two-year fight with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare cancer of the heart.
Abloh, who was born in Rockford Illinois to Ghanaian immigrants, studied civil engineering at the University Of Wisconsin and found his way back to Chicago getting his master's in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
It was here that he fell in love with design. In 2009, after interning at Fendi with Kanye West, his career catalyzed into the mainstream fashion culture.
Although his battle was out of the public eye, that was not the only mystery about him. He was an artist in every aspect, every dimension of his life. And regardless of his fame, he treated everyone as a friend.
Chicago artists Chuck Anderson and froSkate founder Karlie Thorton honor their friend Virgil Abloh and remember their time working with him at the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center.
