Kanye West Pays Tribute to Virgil Abloh at Sunday Service

Just hours after the death of Virgil Abloh, a multidisciplinary architect, entrepreneur and fashion designer, was announced on Sunday, Kanye West (now called “Ye”) paid tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator.

During his Sunday Service, which was live-streamed at DondaLive.com, a tribute to Abloh was shared on the screen: “In loving memory of Virgil Abloh, the creative director of Donda.”

Ye’s choir sang a rendition of “Easy on Me,” the lead single from Adele’s fourth studio album, 30. Lyrics from the first verse were slightly reworked for the occasion, with the choir singing: “I know your love flows like a river / And I could wash myself in it forever / I know there is hope in these waters / But I can’t bring myself to swim / When I am drowning in my sin.”

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Abloh died of cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, at the age 41. Abloh’s historic appointment as the first Black person to serve as artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection in LVMH’s history made waves in the luxury fashion world in 2018. Beyond his work at the storied French fashion house, Abloh was first known as the founder and CEO of high-end streetwear brand Off-White, and also as a creative director for fellow Chicago native West.

Since 2007, Abloh and West worked on several projects together; Abloh designed the Yeezus and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album covers, and most recently led the artistic direction for Donda, West’s latest musical offering and design agency.

On Nov. 30, Abloh’s Spring-Summer 2022 collection for Louis Vuitton will be presented in Miami, Florida — where the fashion house will soon open a new men’s store in the city’s Design District. According to Louis Vuitton’s official Twitter account, the presentation will take place at 5:30 p.m. ET.