Overnight LVMH revealed that Virgil Abloh had shockingly passed away at age 41 due to an aggressive form of cancer he had been battling since his diagnosis in 2019. The design visionary sat at the helm of Louis Vuitton Menswear and Off-White, and had been a prolific collaborator in the streetwear scene for some time.
“We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend,” it reads. “He is survived by his loving wife Shannon Abloh, his children Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh, his sister Edwina Abloh, his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh, and numerous dear friends and colleagues,” a statement from his Instagram account reads.
“For over two years, Virgil valiantly battled a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma. 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.”
Celebrity and brand tributes have flooded the internet this morning as the news circulated social media. Hailey Bieber – whose wedding dress was designed by Abloh – published a gallery of images from her time with the designer.
“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,” Bieber wrote in a caption.
“He was someone who always brought life, charisma, love and fun to any situation, and every room he walked into,” she added. “A once in a generation creative mind that is so rare and I’ll never forget his impact. We love you Virgil.”
Gigi Hadid published her own pictures of the 41-year-old. “I picture him now like our Mickey Mouse .. forever with us, forever adored, forever magical, forever guiding us with that special Virgil FUN; I’m sure that’s how he wanted to be remembered, but still it will never be the same without him in the room.”
Fellow designer Donatella Versace paid tribute with a photo on Instagram. Accompanying an image with Abloh and Naomi Campbell she wrote, “Virgil, I am lost for words. 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. Love, Donatella 💔😢.”
Kourtney Kardashian reposted an image to Instagram Stories followed with the words, “you changed the world”.
Cult basics label Pangaia expressed its condolences on social media as did Gucci and designer Samuel Ross who simply published a black square and tagged Abloh. Jerry Lorenzo, Pharrell Williams, Drake and Lenny Kravitz all published tributes.
See them all below.
View this post on Instagram
//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js
rest in absolute peace. shocking. thank you Virgil 🕊
— Kehlani (@Kehlani) November 28, 2021
instagram.com/p/CW1sXmHhZdY/
