Serena Williams, Bella Hadid And More Honor Virgil Abloh One Year After His Passing

Serena Williams, Hailey Bieber, and Bella Hadid are honoring their friend and fashion designer Virgil Abloh one year after his passing at 41.

The fashion icon — a married father of two children — had been privately battling a rare form of cancer known as cardiac angiosarcoma, which he was diagnosed with in 2019. He passed away on November 28, 2021.

For her tribute, Williams posted a black-and-white picture of herself and Abloh on Instagram on Monday. The image showed the pair looking intently at the camera as the tennis legend stood behind the late Off-White CEO and positioned her hands on his shoulders.

After admitting how difficult it was to put the "sorrow" she feels into words, the mother-of-one wrote, "Your touch on the world will live on forever, and I couldn't be more grateful to have witnessed it and had the chance to collaborate with you."

She concluded, "I still miss you all the time. Forever and ever @virgilabloh," accompanied by two red heart emojis. Williams' post has not only garnered nearly 90k likes but has also touched people's hearts.

One person acknowledged that they "feel sad too," and a second penned, "Gosh Virgil.....One of the finest human beings gifted to us.......No words. Rest well, champ." "Worlds apart, & we share the same love for him. Dearly missed," a third fan opened up, and a fourth added, "one of the greatest, gone too soon."

Three hours before Williams' post went live, Hadid had uploaded a 'gangsta' image of herself and Abloh on her Instagram Story. The duo looked fly as can be as they posed in front of the Eiffel Tower. Hadid wrote, "Man I miss you everyday V!.. It feels like you've been gone for a lifetime and a week all at the same time," across the pic.

Hailey Bieber joined the train with a photo of herself in a lace wedding dress and veil holding the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection's arm. "4ever and always. We all miss you everyday Virg. LLV," she wrote alongside a dove emoji.

News of Abloh's death was announced via his Instagram page last year. The Blast shared that the heartbreaking statement read:

"We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He is survived by his loving wife Shannon Abloh, his children Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh, his sister Edwina Abloh, his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh, and numerous dear friends and colleagues."

The announcement noted that the Creative Director of Donda decided to "endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture."

Despite the health challenge, Abloh's "work ethic, infinite curiosity, and optimism never wavered" thanks to his "dedication to his craft and his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design." 

After thanking fans for their support and love, the family asked for privacy to mourn and celebrate their loved one's life.

Highsnobiety has honored the life and legacy of Abloh by highlighting the sneaker silhouettes — whether released, upcoming, or samples — that have kept his presence in the footwear industry alive. They are:

Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 — After a first sighting in the summer of 2021, these sneakers popped up at Abloh's final LV runway show, making a bold statement about how far the late fashion prodigy had come since he started Pyrex Vision. 

Off-White x Nike Air Jordan 4 "Bred" — Campaigned as one of the most popular Air Jordan 4 till date, the "Bred" was a mixture of old and new that raised the wearer's icon status. Unfortunately, these will not be available for public purchase as they were made just for the Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA Chicago) exhibition.

Off-White x Nike Blazer Low — Abloh designed these sneakers at a time when his focus was to mix "languages for a new signature." It used the Terra Humara as its inspiration, delivering one of the collaboration's most intriguing styles.

Other honorable mentions include Drake's 1-of-1 Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 Low Sample, Futura x Off-White x Nike Dunk Low, Off-White x Nike Air Terra Forma, and Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 "Brooklyn."