The Heartbreaking Reason Virgil Abloh's Death Has Hit Hailey Bieber Hard

The fashion and entertainment industries are mourning the death of Virgil Abloh, the men's artistic director of Louis Vuitton and founder of luxury streetwear brand Off-White. The 41-year-old beloved designer died of cardiac angiosarcoma, a "rare, aggressive form of cancer," after privately being diagnosed with the disease for more than two years. Celebrity tributes are pouring into social media for Abloh, but the designer's death has hit Hailey Bieber especially hard. The model and wife of Justin Bieber walked the runway for Abloh, but there is another reason for her grief.

A thread in many of the celebrity tributes about Abloh is his compassion for others and the innovation in his work. David Beckham called Abloh a "true creative pioneer," per Glamour. Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian (and husband of Serena Williams) tweeted, "I'm so grateful for so many things you created. Thank you, Virgil. You will continue to thrive through your work and all the impact you had on so many people." But out of the tsunami of social media messages for the Louis Vuitton designer, Bieber's tribute to Abloh feels especially personal and heartbreaking.

Virgil Abloh's death hit Hailey Bieber hard because he custom-designed her wedding dress for her 2019 ceremony with Justin Bieber. (The two tied the knot twice; first at a courthouse in 2018.) After the wedding, Hailey shared the gown on Instagram and wrote, "@virgilabloh thank you for making my vision come to life and creating my dream dress. You and your @off____white team are incredible and I'm forever grateful I got to wear your beautiful creation."

Hailey shared several photos of her wedding dress and their friendship in her heartbreaking Instagram tribute to Abloh. "Virgil completely changed the way I looked at street style and fashion, the way he looked at things inspired me deeply," she wrote. "I will never be able to fully express how grateful I am to have known him and worked with him, from walking on his runways to having him design my wedding dress and all the other amazing moments in between, I felt he was always rooting for me."

Hailey continued her heartfelt post, "He was someone who always brought life, charisma, love and fun to any situation, and every room he walked into. A once in a generation creative mind that is so rare and I'll never forget his impact. We love you Virgil." Hailey's post was a special way to honor a dear friend.