Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton artistic director for the menswear collection and executive director of Off-White, passed away at the age of 41.
Through an official statement, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton announced that Abloh had been battling cancer for years.
"LVMH and Off-White are saddened to announce the death of Virgil Abloh on Sunday, November 28, from the cancer he has been battling privately for years."
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. pic.twitter.com/CytwZLvSFu
- LVMH (@LVMH) November 28, 2021
Virgil Abloh was an American designer, DJ and entrepreneur who has been the artistic director of the Louis Vuitton menswear collection since March 2018. Abloh was also the executive director of the Milan-based label Off-White, a fashion house which founded in 2012.
With experience in architecture, Abloh entered the fashion world through street fashion. In 2009, he conducted an internship at Fendi alongside Kanye West. After that he collaborated with Kanye and started founding Off-White.
Virgil Abloh was the first American of African descent to be the artistic director of a French luxury fashion house. In 2018, he was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.