Serena Williams is one of many who continue to honor prolific designer Virgil Abloh’s legacy following his death late 2021 from a rare form of cancer.
In a new film for Vogue titled V, the tennis champion sang Abloh’s praises as a creative and champion for diversity in art and fashion.
“It so inspiring to see what he was able to do and the doors he was able to open,” Williams said of Abloh. “And not only that, but the people he had around him. Having diversity [in] his group and making sure people of color are in the c-suite or a part of making the biggest decisions.”
Sharing information about a personal collaboration the two did in 2018, the world-renowned athlete mentioned that she still regrets not fully trusting Abloh’s vision.
“So that collaboration for the French Open, I still kind of regret not doing what Virgil told me to do,” Williams shared. “He wanted me to wear this long skirt with the crazy train, and then a cape with a train, and then just walk out on the court… I wasn’t brave enough to go out there on all the red clay and just walk out in this train of like the Met Gala [level] at the French Open.”
“Virgil was so much more than a collaborator,” Williams emphasized in an Instagram caption underneath a clip of her in the Vogue film. “He was a friend [and] an innovator. I really wish I wore the magnificent skirt he made for me in 2018. You saw it before me Virgil, we will keep your legacy alive.”
V The Documentary
V the documentary was created by Mahfuz Sultan and Chloe Wayne, two other collaborators of Abloh.
“We didn’t initially plan it to be something of this size, but it became increasingly ambitious as it went on,” said Chloe of the film. “Part of that is because people just said the most incredible things about their friend, and we wanted to have it on the record. If anyone cares to watch this in 10 years, we’ve been able to collect some of those amazing testimonials about Virgil’s impact, and what an amazing person he was.”