Celebrating Abloh: Looks from the Fund’s Gala
Courtesy of Yahoo
Written By: Makena Ruggia
The Fashion Scholarship Fund had its 85th annual Gala on April 11th, and the forefront focus was honoring the life of Virgil Abloh, the former menswear artistic director for Louis Vuitton. Mr. Abloh left a big impression on menswear designers everywhere, and his untimely passing left the fashion industry breathless and grieving. Abloh’s wife, Shannon Abloh, took to the stage to honor her late husband and to reflect on his constant urge to give back equitably through the Fund’s scholarships. She announced the winners, who would have reflected a young Abloh’s passion for the industry and desire to create.
Abloh’s effect on the industry gave this gala quite an attendance: a total of 123 scholars through the fund attended, specifically 23 African American students who were recipients of Abloh’s Post-Modern Scholarship Fund. Many designers in attendance took to their own outfits to remember Abloh, and they did not disappoint.
Abloh’s wife took to a sleek black two-piece set, with a simple stripe lining the sides of her pant legs and arms. Simple yet elegant, Abloh completes her look with pointed heels mostly hidden by her long pant legs. Her outfit took nothing away from the power of her words in honoring her late husband.
Broadway star Renée Elise Goldsberry emceed for the night, and her outfit featured a straight-line silhouette in her patterned overcoat (often pictured with her sleeves pulled up to her elbows), and a patterned long straight pleated skirt that fell just above her ankles. She completed her look with a simple pair of white heels. This is consistent with Abloh’s last Spring 2022 Off-White Ready To Wear Collection, which hides women’s silhouettes with straight-line outfitting and overcoats. Goldsberry decided against a muted palette, however, and went with a more colorful ensemble.
The recipient of the Chairman’s Award, Naecia Dixon, was one of Abloh’s scholars, which seemed only proper since his loss was so greatly felt at the Gala. Naecia wore a deep green, off-the-shoulder floor-length dress. The dress features puff sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, the color complementing her skin tone. Dixon reflected fondly upon Abloh’s life, and reflected upon her own, saying “I want a little Black Jamaican girl to see how I saw Virgil. That I am not a saint or a superhero or a goddess. That I am just a Black woman who worked her ass off, and if I can do it, she can do it too.”