Virgil Abloh, the founder of the fashion house Off-White and the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line, has passed away at the age of 41. His sudden death caught the world by surprise, and many fashion figures and celebrities took a moment to bid farewell to the visionary designer.
Abloh passed away after a private battle with a rare form of cancer. Bernard Arnault, the CEO of Louis Vuitton’s parent company LVMH, described him as “a genius designer” and “a visionary” in an official statement following his tragic death.
“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,” said Arnault.
Many of Abloh past collaborators sent condolences to his family and celebrated the designer’s legacy, including Pharrell Williams, Drake, LeBron James, Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and more. Kanye West, who hired him as his creative director at the very beginning of his career, posted a flash page to his official website, reading “In Loving Memory Of Virgil Abloh, The Creative Director Of Donda.”
Virgil Abloh found mainstream success after starting his high-end streetwear brand Off-White in 2012. He made history as the first black designer to be appointed as the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line in 2018 and assumed this role until his death.
