Serena Williams pays emotional tribute to her friend and fashion designer Virgil Abloh a year after his death from cancer at the age of 41: ‘I still cannot put into words the pain I feel’
Serena Williams has paid tribute to her friend and fashion designer Virgil Abloh 12 months after he passed away at the age of 41.
The fashion prodigy, married with two children, had been privately battling a rare form of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma. He was diagnosed with the condition in 2019 and died on November 28, 2021.
Tennis legend Williams honored Abloh at the US Open earlier this year and paid tribute a year after his death in an emotional post.
She uploaded a photo of the couple along with the caption: “It’s been a year and I still can’t put into words the pain I feel.”
Your touch in the world will live on forever and I couldn’t be more grateful to have witnessed it and had the opportunity to collaborate with you.
Serena Williams paid tribute to her friend and fashion designer Virgil Abloh on Monday
He posted an emotional post to his 16 million followers on Instagram a year after his death.
Williams was once credited as the fashion designer’s ‘muse’, as the pair (pictured in 2019) previously worked together for a collaboration with Nike.
‘I still miss you all the time. Forever and ever @virgilabloh’, followed by two red love hearts.
Williams received a custom pair of Nike shoes inspired by the late designer at her final tournament in New York in September.
It was the swan song of the tennis superstar before he ‘disappeared’ from the sport. She was gifted a pair of purple and neon green shoes with her name on the side of hers that were created in honor of her late friend.
‘Oh my God!’ he exclaimed as he opened the Nike package. “I loved Virgil very much and still do. I always.’
Tennis legend Williams honored Abloh at the US Open earlier this year after receiving a pair of custom Nike shoes inspired by the late designer at his final tournament in September.
Williams revealed that the shoes were created with a lilac tutu she had worn at the 2018 US Open by Virgil’s label Off-White in mind.
She added, “This is her Serena quote-inspired shoe and this is the tutu I’m obsessed with and always will be obsessed with.”
Abloh made history as Louis Vuitton’s first black artistic director after joining the fashion house in 2018.
He had no formal training as a designer, but he created his own label, Off-White, five years before moving on to luxury branding.
Williams revealed that the shoes were created with a lilac tutu she had worn at the 2018 US Open by Virgil’s label Off-White in mind.
Williams was once credited as the fashion designer’s “muse”, as the duo previously worked on a collaboration for Nike.
She walked the runway in the first show since Abloh passed away, appearing for Off-White’s Fall/Winter 2022 show in February.
She told her 16 million followers: “I had an amazing time walking in the @off____white show… Virgil meant a lot to me, and walking in a collection he was still a part of was something not to be missed.”
‘Thank you for the opportunity. I am very grateful to show love to my friend.’
Williams played the final tournament at the US Open in September before ‘disappearing’ from tennis
In her ‘retirement’ announcement, Williams said she wanted to focus on her family and business, but after being knocked out in the third round of the US Open by Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, she has since teased a return to tennis.
“I’m not retired,” Williams told the TechCrunch Disrupt panel in San Francisco last month.
When asked if she could be seen on the court again, she told the audience: “The chances are very high.”
That was immediately followed by a joke: “You can come to my house, I have a court.” I understand you.’
Williams chose her words very carefully when she spoke at the US Open in August. She told the audience that she was ‘evolving away’ from the game.
This wasn’t the first time Williams has teased a comeback. After he finished the US Open, he made an appearance on Good Morning America and addressed his retirement by naming another famous athlete who retired this year.
I mean, you never know. I just said Tom Brady started a really cool trend…’ he said in September.
Commercial
Share or comment on this article:
Source: news.google.com