Contributed by Lauren Taylor
Virgil Abloh, was an acclaimed designer, one of the most popular in the modern age, he worked for Louis Vuitton and has founded the company Off-White. He passed away this past Sunday, due to his private battle with cancer.
This information was released by his verified Instagram account. Announcing his passing,
“We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He 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,” the post read.
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It continues with, “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.”
He is the first-ever Black Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton, but before that, he created the streetwear label Off-White in 2012. He brought in the young crowd at Louis Vuitton expanding their demographic, his menswear collections incorporated streetwear and high fashion. Abloh went against the grain challenging gender norms, according to CNN.
LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, tweeted about his death and, in a statement, quoted LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault: “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.”
According to Louis Vuitton’s Twitter account, a presentation of his Spring-Summer 2022 collection will still launch at 5.30 pm E.T. on Tuesday, November 30.