Virgil Abloh, stylist and artistic director of the Louis Vuitton men’s collections, died Sunday, November 28 of cancer, at the age of 41, according to the LVMH group. “For more than two years, Virgil has valiantly fought a rare and aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma. He has chosen to wage this battle in private since his diagnosis in 2019,” is it written on the artist’s Instagram account.
“Virgil was dedicated to his craft (…) creating pathways for greater equality in art and design. He would often say ‘Everything I do is mine from when I was 17’ . He believed deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations “, the post continues.
The LVMH group, Maison Louis Vuitton and Off White have the immense sorrow of announcing the disappearance of Virgil Abloh, struck down this Sunday, November 28 by a cancer that he had been fighting for several years. pic.twitter.com/MMAFKf8bki
– LVMH (@LVMH) November 28, 2021
The first great black designer, committed to the affirmation of African-American cultures, the stylist had landed in 2018 one of the most envied positions in fashion, in the flagship label of LVMH.
King of luxury streetwear, he had established himself in a few years as one of the coolest designers. His trademark ? A style reflecting the “street” culture, with its sneakers and sweatshirts, but also an easily recognizable logo, made of oblique black and white stripes, successful collaborations, with Nike, Jimmy Choo, or even Moncler, or with rappers. In 2012, Virgil Abloh also created a first label, Pyrex Vision.
– WRLD (@wrld_mag) November 28, 2021
A year later, Off-White was born, a luxury streetwear brand, which imposed itself by the strength of its graphics before evolving towards more “couture” creations. In 2015, the brand was one of the finalists for the prestigious LVMH prize. LVMH signed an agreement in July with Virgil Abloh to become the majority shareholder of its Off-White brand.