While the Grammys 2022 captivated everyone with some spectacular fashion moments and performances, it has also come under scrutiny for a variety of reasons. After being chastised for omitting to include late vocalist Lata Mangeshkar in the ‘In Memoriam’ portion, it is now being chastised for downgrading ace designer Virgil Abloh to the status of a ‘Hip-Hop Fashion Designer’ during the homage.

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The Recording Academy paid tribute to the late Louis Vuitton menswear artistic director and Off-White founder, who died in November at the age of 41 after a protracted battle with cancer. Abloh, dubbed the “Renaissance man of fashion,” is renowned for introducing street fashion to the catwalk.

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In 2011, the late designer was also nominated for a Grammy for his work on the Watch the Throne cover art. He had worked as a DJ, producer, visual artist, and engineer in addition to producing a commendable body of work in fashion.

Furthermore, the ceremony failed to mention that he had been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for his work on Jay-Z and Ye’s Watch the Throne.

Before entering the fashion industry, Abloh earned a Master of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology.  

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As a result, the Grammys tribute, as expected, did not go down well with many, who vented their displeasure on social media for degrading Abloh’s various abilities.

“Imagine being the creative director of one of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world and being labelled as a ‘hip hop fashion designer’. @RecordingAcad do better,” a user penned.

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Another user tweeted: “The list of accomplishments Virgil had in fashion, art, architecture, music, etc. is longer than most people at the Grammy’s combined. It’s crazy to me that they thought it was a good idea to diminish his life’s work to be a ‘hip-hop fashion designer’!”

“Minimizing Virgil Abloh to a “Hip-Hop Fashion Designer” is nasty behaviour. Whoever at the Grammys that’s responsible, you’re not seeing heaven,” a user tweeted.