Off-White founder, Louis Vuitton artistic director, designer, DJ, and artist Virgil Abloh has sadly passed away, aged 41. According to statements issued by his family and LVMH, Abloh died on the 28th November 2021, following a two year private battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare form of heart cancer. Despite his diagnosis in 2019, Abloh continued to fulfil his duties as artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear and founder and head designer at Italian luxury fashion house Off-White.
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An archetypal multidisciplinary, Virgil Abloh was born and raised in Illinois. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison and a Master of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, an internship at Fendi led to meeting rapper Kanye West, with the two beginning a collaborative relationship. Notably, West made Abloh the creative director of his creative agency DONDA and also asked him to serve as artistic director for Watch the Throne, the studio album by West and Jay Z.
In 2012, Abloh founded his first label Pyrex Vision, intended to be an artistic experiment. The following year, he founded luxury streetwear brand Off-White, which bridged the gap between luxury fashion and streetwear, surpassing Gucci as the ‘hottest’ brand in the world in 2018. The same year, Abloh was named artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton and was instrumental in the resurgence of the French luxury fashion house through collaborations with Supreme, Nigo, Nike, and Rimowa.
The first person of African descent to hold the coveted position at Louis Vuitton and one of the few prominent Black designers within the high fashion world, Abloh played a crucial role in reframing luxury fashion, making it approachable and desirable to a new generation.
“For over two years, Virgil valiantly battled a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma,” read a statement by Abloh’s family on the designer’s Instagram account. “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.
“Through it all, his work ethic, infinite curiosity, and optimism never wavered. 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.”
Words by Theo Rosen
