Virgil Abloh, the trailblazing fashion designer who came up on the streets of Chicago and peaked as the artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s men’s line, died Sunday.
He was 41.
Known as one of the most influential designers of his generation, Abloh had been battling cancer “privately for several years” before succumbing to the disease, according to his company.
A statement posted on his personal Instagram account said he had been diagnosed with “a rare, aggressive form of ... cardiac angiosarcoma” in 2019 but had chosen to keep it private.
“Through it all, his work ethic, infinite curiosity, and optimism never wavered,” the statement read. “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.”
Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, called him “not only a genius designer, a visionary, but he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom.” LVMH owns Louis Vuitton.
“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,” Arnault said in a statement.
Abloh worked as an intern at Italian luxury fashion house Fendi in 2009, the same year as rapper Kanye West, who was taking a break from music and was living in Rome then. The two formed a relationship, with Abloh eventually becoming the creative director of DONDA, West’s creative content company named after his mother, and the artistic director for the 2011 album “Watch the Throne” from West and Jay-Z.
After earning a master's degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Abloh said he taught himself design, learning from Chicago graffiti art.
Off-White, Abloh’s high-end streetwear fashion house, was founded in 2013 and, five years later, Louis Vuitton brought him into the fold as the artistic director of the menswear line, making him the company’s first Black artistic director and one of the only Black designers to lead a major French fashion house.
His first Louis Vuitton show in Paris, in June 2018, changed the runway, bringing his street style into the world of luxury brands for a daring collaboration that paid off. Celebrity models included Kid Cudi and Playboi Carti, and guests included Rihanna and Naomi Campbell, as well as West and Kim Kardashian.
Since then, Abloh has been in demand, designing a two-piece black-and-white outfit for Serena Williams at the 2018 French Open and Hailey Bieber’s wedding dress, when she tied the knot with 27-year-old pop megastar Justin Bieber in 2018.
“Virgil completely changed the way I looked at street style and fashion, the way he looked at things inspired me deeply,” Hailey Bieber wrote on Instagram with a photo of the pair. “I will never be able to fully express how grateful I am to have known him and worked with him, from walking on his runways to having him design my wedding dress and all the other amazing moments in between, I felt he was always rooting for me. He was someone who always brought life, charisma, love and fun to any situation, and every room he walked into. A once in a generation creative mind that is so rare and I’ll never forget his impact.”
“I am so sorry to read this,” fashion designer Marc Jacobs commented on Instagram. “My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones. May you rest in peace and power, dear Virgil.”
“Virgil, I am lost for words,” wrote Italian designer Donatella Versace. “The world has lost a fashion superstar. An innovator. A creator for the history books. I am thinking of all your loved ones on this tragic day.”
“My heart is broken,” singer Pharrell Williams tweeted. “Virgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius. Your work as a human and your work as a spiritual being will live forever. Sending love and light to your wife, children, family and day ones you’re with the Master now, shine.”
“Too soon Virgil,” tweeted British actor Idris Elba. “You will be missed from this world man.”
“What can you say when a force like (Abloh) is taken too soon?” pop star Justin Timberlake wrote on Instagram. “You gave the world so much, in so little time. And created with intensity … knowing better than the rest of us that life is short, but anything is possible. I’m honored to have known you. Thank you for sharing your gift with us.”
Abloh is survived by his wife, Shannon, their two children, Lowe and Grey, his sister Edwina and parents Nee and Eunice.
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