By Cynthia Akande
The founder of fashion company Off-White and menswear artistic Director at Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh, has passed away at the age of 41 after a two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a “rare, aggressive form of cancer.”
Abloh’s death was announced on Sunday by the luxury group LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) and the Off-White label, the haute street wear brand Abloh founded in 2013.
A statement from LVMH Chief Executive Bernard Arnault said: “LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Off-White are devastated to announce the passing of Virgil Abloh on Sunday 28 November of cancer, which he had been battling privately for several years.
“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.
“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.”
Abloh first came to prominence as rapper Kanye West’s Creative Director, but later made history as the first African-American to lead French luxury brand Louis Vuitton.
