The Recording Academy faced criticism for labeling the late Virgil Abloh as a “hip-hop fashion designer” during the ceremony’s “In Memoriam” segment on Sunday.
Abloh, who founded his own fashion label Off-White and served as artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear, died in November last year following a private battle with cancer. While he had a big presence in the world of hip-hop, especially when it came to his work with Kanye West, people still took issue with him being described as a “hip-hop fashion designer.”
Many people were quick to point out the multi-hyphenate’s long list of achievements. Not only did he work for multiple luxury fashion brands, but he also worked with huge mainstream brands like Nike and IKEA.
Abloh also received a Master of Architecture degree at the Illinois Institute of Technology before even stepping into the fashion world. On top of that, the ceremony neglected to highlight that he has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for his work on Jay-Z and Ye’s Watch the Throne.
Other people suggested the label was given to him because he’s a Black man. As the Cut pointed out, his work reached beyond the world of hip-hop, as evidenced by BTS sporting some of his last designs for Louis Vuitton at the ceremony.
