Virgil Abloh, the artistic director for Louis Vuitton menswear and the creator and CEO of fashion business Off-White, died on Sunday, November 28 after a secret struggle with a “rare, aggressive form of cancer.” He was 41 years old.
According to a statement on his verified Instagram account, Abloh, a fashion trailblazer and frequent celebrity collaborator, died Sunday after battling cardiac angiosarcoma, which limits blood flow to the heart.
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On their respective accounts, Louis Vuitton and Off-White also confirmed his passing. “He chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture,” stated Abloh’s Instagram.
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Several artists in fashion industry also posted on their respective social media accounts to mourn his passing including Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Colman Domingo and Amanda Gorman.
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In honor of Virgil. He made me feel so fly. A master craftsman. @LouisVuitton Thank you for your artistry. pic.twitter.com/UgM1GCnIsp
— Colman Domingo (@colmandomingo) November 28, 2021
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Virgil Abloh was a fashion pioneer, serving as the first Black artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear and one of only two people of color in control of a major fashion business at the time of his appointment in 2018 (together with Olivier Rousteing of Balmain).
He was named a Time 100 Most Influential People honoree the same year. Abloh, who was born in Illinois to Ghanaian immigrants, earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, the latter of which piqued his interest in the fashion sector.
He went on to intern with Kanye West at Fendi, which led to a long-term collaboration with the rapper. West was in attendance for Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week in 2019, where the two were photographed warmly embracing afterward. Abloh was behind several of West’s notable album covers, including 2010’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” 2011’s “Watch the Throne” with Jay-Z, and 2013’s “Yeezus.” Abloh also made a name for himself as a DJ. He performed at the Spanish nightclub H Ibiza, was booked for Germany’s Tomorrowland music festival in 2019, and held a DJ residency at Wynn Las Vegas’s XS Nightclub that same year.
According to his Instagram account, he is survived by his wife, Shannon Abloh; his children, Lowe and Grey Abloh; his sister, Edwina Abloh; his parents, Nee and Eunice Abloh; and “many cherished friends and colleagues.”
Source: https://www.instagram.com/virgilabloh, https://www.instagram.com/louisvuitton/
