Kim Kardashian WestandKanye Westreunited to celebrate the life of their longtime friend and late designerVirgil Ablohat hisposthumous presentation for Louis Vuitton.
Kanye, 44, and Kim, 41, were seen front row at the Spring/Summer 2022 Louis Vuitton menswear presentation in Miami on Tuesday evening with their daughterNorth, 8, sitting in between them. Before the show began, Kim posted a few photos on her Instagram Story, including a sand sculpture of Abloh and an enormous, red Louis Vuitton-branded hot air balloon.
The presentation marks the first time the former couple has been seen together publicly since Kim began datingSaturday Night Livecomedian Pete Davidson. In addition to North, Kim and Kanye share daughterChicago, 3½, and sonsSaint West, 5½, andPsalm, 2½. Since Kimfiled for divorcefrom the rapper in February, the former couple hasfocused on co-parenting peacefully.
Louis Vuitton announced that Abloh’s final menswear collection in Miami will “pay tribute to the life and legacy of a creative genius.” The show was held at the Miami Marine Stadium, where Kanye led aSunday Service event two years ago to close out Art Basel. Attendees took a ferry to the venue about two hours before the presentation began.
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On Sunday, PEOPLE confirmed Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton and founder of Off-White,died at age 41after a two-year battle with a rare form of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma.
Abloh’s friendship with Kanye dates back well over a decade, and he connected with Kim through the rapper. Though Abloh was not formally educated in fashion (he earned a degree in civil engineering and master’s in architecture), he landed an internship at Fendi alongside Kanye in 2009. From there, the duo’s collaboration took off.
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Abloh later became the creative director for Kanye’s creative agency Donda, before starting his first brand, Pyrex Vision, in 2012. He then founded his streetwear label, Off-White, in 2014 before being named the first Black artistic director for Louis Vuitton menswear in 2018.
Kanye West and Virgil Abloh embrace after the designer’s debut show as men’s artistic director at Louis Vuitton.Laurent Vu/Sipa/Shutterstock
After Abloh’s passing, Kimpenned an emotional tributefor the designer on Instagram. “God doesn’t make mistakes. I know that but I still can’t help but ask why. Why Virgil?! Why him so soon? it’s simply hard to understand why. I have a hard time understanding why so many pure souls were taken away so early,” theKeeping Up with the Kardashiansalum said.
“Virgil- you were always so gentle, kind and calm,” she continued. “You somehow made time for everyone. We also talked about your superpower of calmness often. You always gave so much of yourself to the world because you wanted it to be doper. This one is hard to process. I can’t even believe I am writing this… We will miss you so much Virgil and love you so much.”
Kanyededicated his Sunday Serviceto his longtime friend after learning the news of his death.
“In loving memory of Virgil Abloh, the creative director of Donda,” Kanye wrote in a message that remained on the site after the event.
During the service, West’s choir delivered an emotional rendition ofAdele’s hit single “Easy on Me” from her new album30, featuring a revised section of the song. For the first verse, the choir performed a modified set of lyrics. “I know your love flows like a river, and I could wash myself in it forever,” they sang. “I know there is hope in these waters, but I can’t bring myself to swim when I am drowning in my sin.”
The chorus' lyrics were also tweaked: “Go easy on me, father. I am still your child, and I need a chance to feel your love around.”
source: people.com
