Virgil Abloh, founder of the fashion company Off-White and menswear artistic director at Louis Vuitton, died on Sunday following a private, two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare, aggressive form of cancer. He was 41.
Abloh’s death was first announced by his labels over social media.
“We are all shocked after this terrible news. Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom,” wrote LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault. “The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sorrow, and we are all thinking of his loved ones after the passing of their husband, their father, their brother or their friend.”
“We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother and friend,” reads a statement on Abloh’s official Instagram.
According to the statement, Abloh elected to keep his cancer private after being diagnosed in 2019, undergoing treatments while continuing to work as one of the fashion industry’s leading voices.
“Virgil was driven by his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design. He often said, ‘Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,’ believing deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations.”
