Frank Ocean shares moving tribute to "hero" Virgil Abloh

Yesterday (28 November) evening, LVMH Group released a statement announcing that fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton and CEO of Off-White, had died aged 41 after battling cancer "privately for several years".

In a rare and moving statement on socials, Frank Ocean wrote of how he once asked how Abloh returned "EVERYONE’s texts with enthusiasm and emojis and encouragement and seemingly.. with ease" while managing to "play hundreds of shows a year and do numerous fashion collections a year and be a father and a husband."

The musician's tribute continued, "I’ll miss you. When Ryan went to his prom you got him some pieces from your new collection at LV and he was GEEKed. Couldn’t get him to take it off. When I went to Miami and you played a set on the beach in 2016 you played White Ferrari—a song with no drums or bass anywhere to be found lol—and started a sing along. When I played you demos of shit I was working on or showed you Homer way before it was ready you put the battery in my back."

"When my brother passed I never said anything because it was way too much but he loved you and really looked up to you," Frank Ocean added. "He was going to fashion school and everything. He wanted to be a designer. My family was proud of you like you were our family. I know grief is love that you don’t get to express so this is an attempt at expressing it. Love you V. You’re a hero."

Frank Ocean reflects on the passing of Virgil Abloh. RIP
(via @blonded on Instagram) pic.twitter.com/cCEr1DTu0s

— Frank Ocean Daily (@TeamFrankDaily) November 29, 2021