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Menswear designer, Vigil Aboh, has passed away after privately battling cancer for years. According to a statement posted to Abloh’s Instagram on Sunday, the designer battled a “rare, aggressive” form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma, for the past two years.
“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,” the statement reads. “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.”
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A tweet from the LVMH account confirmed Abloh’s sudden demise, along with and a statement from the CEO of LVMH Bernard Arnault.
“LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Off White are devastated to announce the passing of Virgil Abloh, on Sunday, November 28th, of cancer, which he had been battling privately for several years,” wrote 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. 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.”
LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Off White are devastated to announce the passing of Virgil Abloh, on Sunday, November 28th, of cancer, which he had been battling privately for several years. pic.twitter.com/CytwZLvSFu
— LVMH (@LVMH) November 28, 2021
Vigil Aboh was a visionary, a trailblazer who served as artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection since 2018. He’s also the founder Off-White, a luxury streetwear label which was launched in 2012. Abloh have always push the boundaries with his creativity, designs and collections and have made such a huge impact in the fashion industry.
Being a man whose parents were from Ghana, and his mother being a tailor, Abloh started his career at the Illinois Institute of Technology during his master’s program in architecture. After his graduation in 2019, he went to work with Kanye West as an intern at Fendi, which eventually led to other opportunities: he art directed the 2011 Jay-Z/West album Watch the Throne and he was noticed by Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke.
He is survived by his wife Shannon and two children, Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh. Rest In Peace, dear Abloh.
