Virgil Abloh, the American-born son of Ghanaian immigrants who became fashion’s highest profile Black designer and the creative mind behind Louis Vuitton’s menswear collections, passed away on November 28 at age 41, following a two-year battle with “a rare, aggressive form of cancer” called cardiac angiosarcoma, according to a statement posted on his Instagram, a health issue that was unknown to the public until his death.
According to Reuters, Abloh, who also worked as a DJ and visual artist, had been men’s artistic director for Vuitton, the world’s biggest luxury brand, since March 2018.
Abloh “chose to endure his battle privately” and underwent “numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture,” the statement read.
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Abloh was “not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom, ” LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault said in a release.
Abloh founded the Italian luxury streetwear label Off-White, in which LVMH took a 60% stake earlier this year. He was a former collaborator with rapper and fashion designer Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who dedicated his latest Sunday Service to Abloh, according to billboard.com.
Born in 1980 near Chicago, Abloh and his sister were raised in Rockford, Illinois. According to a 2018 Vogue magazine profile, his mother Eunice Abloh, a seamstress, taught him the basics of the craft at a young age.
His arrival at LVMH in 2018 marked the marriage between streetwear and high-end fashion, mixing sneakers and camouflage pants with tailored suits and evening gowns. His influences included graffiti art, hip hop and skateboard culture. The style was embraced by the group as it sought to breathe new life into some labels and attract younger customers.
His designs was worn by top models such as Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Hailey Baldwin amongst many stars who honoured him and paid tributes on social media.
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Rest in Power @virgilabloh … gone too soon but your legacy lives on. Stretched culture & the changed the game. Thank you for all you did to support so many & how you pushed us to reimagine what’s possible 🤍
— Riz Ahmed (@rizwanahmed) November 28, 2021
