Mourning a visionary - designer Virgil Abloh is dead

He was the chief creative strategist for superstar Kanye West and the first African American to head the men's line at Louis Vuitton.

Now Virgil Abloh has died at the age of only 41.

Paris - The fashion world mourns the loss of designer Virgil Abloh.

The creative head of the men's line at Louis Vuitton died yesterday at the age of 41, as the French luxury goods group LVMH announced in the evening.

The chairman, Bernard Arnault, said, according to the announcement: “We are all shocked by this terrible news.

Virgil was not only a brilliant designer, a visionary - he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. "

Le groupe LVMH, la Maison Louis Vuitton et Off White ont l'immense douleur d'annoncer la disparition de Virgil Abloh, terrassé ce dimanche 28 novembre par un cancer qu'il combattait depuis plusieurs années.

pic.twitter.com/MMAFKf8bki

- LVMH (@LVMH) November 28, 2021

Abloh has been fighting a very rare and aggressive cancer for more than two years, according to the designer's personal Instagram account. After the diagnosis in 2019, he decided not to make the disease public and has since endured several debilitating treatments. "Meanwhile, his work ethic, his infinite curiosity and his optimism never let up," it said in the letter.

Abloh, who was also known as a DJ and founded his own streetwear brand Off-White, has been the creative director of the men's line at Louis Vuitton since March 2018.

It was only in July that LVMH announced that Abloh, who was born in the US state of Illinois in 1980, would also take on other tasks in the group.

The LVMH statement said they wanted to launch new brands together and also want to work together outside of the fashion industry.

Family and colleagues mourn

His entry at LVMH (Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton SE) caused a sensation in 2018: Abloh was previously the creative chief strategist of US musician Kanye West and the first African American to take the post of chief designer of the men's line at Louis Vuitton.

In addition, Abloh was not a trained designer - he studied civil engineering and architect.

He leaves behind his wife Shannon and two children.

The family thanked for the love and support and now asked that their privacy be respected - "while we mourn and celebrate Virgil's life".

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The Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani announced via the Armani Twitter account that he was very sad about Abloh's death.

"I followed his career with great interest, his new approach to fashion and communication, with a strong sense of inclusion." Singer Lenny Kravitz wrote: "You have shaped this world permanently." Dpa