Imran Amed, the founder, and CEO of BoF, wrote to Virgil Abloh in October to offer him the Global VOICES Award.
The award recognizes a member of The Business of Fashion community who has used their position in the industry to have a positive impact on the world.
Abloh was more than qualified, having broken down barriers to become one of fashion’s most influential creatives. Amed wrote in his letter that the award was meant to honor the designer’s “tireless work championing talent, raising marginalized voices, and creating new pathways into fashion.”
But Abloh was supposed to be in Miami this week for the launch of a major new menswear store and fashion show for Louis Vuitton, where he was the men’s artistic director. The award was virtually impossible to organize, so the plan was to give no award this year and honor Abloh in 2022.
The designer passed away last week after a long battle with cancer. On the final night of VOICES 2021, BoF presented Abloh with the Global VOICES Award posthumously, along with a donation to his Post-Modern Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to promising Black or African-American students with a passion for fashion.
At a gala dinner to mark the end of VOICES 2021, Amed said, “Someone told me that in Ghanaian tradition, you celebrate life.” “So, even though Virgil isn’t here with us tonight, we’re celebrating him.”
The event concluded BoF’s annual gathering of big thinkers, which brings together business leaders, activists, and experts from around the world for a jam-packed schedule of thought-provoking talks and discussions. Despite the fact that this year’s VOICES took place against a backdrop of global crises, from Covid-19 to the climate emergency, the sessions were upbeat and forward-looking, covering topics such as the metaverse, mushroom-based leather, and gender-free fashion. Dame Vivienne Westwood, Christian Louboutin, and Tommy Hilfiger were among the designers who spoke, as were biologist Merlin Sheldrake and author Jay Shetty.
Jordan Dunn, David Gandy, Harris Reed, and Sonam Kapoor were among the guests who sat down to a dinner prepared by chef Jackson Boxer before a performance by singer Ama Lou.
