Virgil Abloh, fashion designer, dies at 41 following years of a private cancer battle
DOHA, QATAR - NOVEMBER 04: Virgil Abloh (pictured), Samir Bantal, Director of AMO, the research and design branch of OMA, and Rosanne Somerson, President Emerita of Rhode Island School of Design and Principal of Somerson Studio, participate in a publ
CHICAGO - Louis Vuitton fashion designer, Virgil Abloh, has died at 41 after a battle with cancer, his family confirmed over an Instagram post Sunday.
According to the post, Abloh privately fought a two-year battle against a rare form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma. He was diagnosed in 2019, and underwent numerous forms of treatment, the family stated.
"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," the post states. "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."
Abloh was born in 1980, and was the chief executive officer of the Milan-based label "Off-White," which he founded in 2013.
The LVMH group took to Twitter to express their devastation.
"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," said Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH. "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."
Abloh was born and raised in Rockford.