Virgil Abloh, an influential fashion designer and founder of Off-White fashion house has died at age 41.
LVMH, the corporation, which owns Louis Vuitton, announced the shocking news, attributing his cause of death to cancer.
“LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Off White are devastated to announce the passing of Virgil Abloh, on Sunday, November 28th, of cancer, which he had been battling privately for several years,” the statement reads.
A lengthier tribute describes the late fashion designer as a “genius” and “visionary” while paying homage to his character.
The statement offers condolences to his wife, Shannon Sundberg, and their two children.
In addition to launching the famous Off-White fashion house in Milan, Abloh was also the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection.
Virgil Abloh’s cause of death was from a rare form of cancer
The late fashion designer’s Instagram page, which has 6.5 million followers, released a statement about his death, giving insight into his private cancer battle in the lengthy statement.
“For over two years, Virgil valiantly battled a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma. 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.”
According to Cancer Research UK, cardiac angiosarcoma or angiosarcoma of the heart is a rare form of soft tissue sarcoma.
It is so rare that a common cause has not been found, but this form of cancer has been linked to past radiotherapy treatment.
Tributes pour in for Virgil Abloh
Many fans expressed shock as Virgil died at just 41 years of age. Many collaborators and supporters paid tribute to him on social media.
A fan thanked the late artist for his iconic album covers.
“rest in peace to Virgil Abloh. thank you for giving us these iconic album covers,” he wrote.
Streaming company Tidal praised Virgil for his great work with the following tribute:
“Our hearts are broken over the monumental loss of the creative genius, visionary, and icon — Virgil Abloh. Rest in Power, Virgil.”
Virgil Abloh was also known for his collaborations and friendship with Kanye West. They met in the same internship at Fendi in 2009.
Virgil’s big break came when he gained critical acclaim and recognition for designing the cover art for Kanye and Jay-Z’s collaborative album Watch the Throne. He earned a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package for the 2011 album.
The statement on his Instagram account reveals that the influential fashion designer is survived by: “his loving wife Shannon Abloh, his children Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh, his sister Edwina Abloh, his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh, and numerous dear friends and colleagues..”
Virgin Abloh was 41 years old.