The world-renowned Luxury Men’s designer for Louis Vuitton Vigil Abloh passed away on Sunday, at the young age of 41 after being diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago. He was also the founder and CEO of the label ‘Off-White’.
An Instagram post from Abloh’s account was made which read,
“We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend. 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,”
Virgil was diagnosed with a rare variety of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma, which is battled bravely for two years. He did not speak publically much of the disease for all its endurance and underwent numerous lengthy stints at the hospital while working in a competitive space of luxury fashion and art.
Being a pioneer in the industry he serves in, he started by starting his own label called ‘Off-White’ and went on to become Louis Vuitton’s First Black Artistic Director.
He brought his own niche vision to the brand, assimilating ideas of streetwear in the highly classic-dominated luxury fashion arena. He brought in fresh perspectives of art and even blurred the lines of gender norms. His style statements have often been worn by who’s who in Hollywood and by the affluent to make an impression.
A uniquely designed “embroidered bib” became the talk of the town when Timothée Chalamet wore it to the Golden Globes in 2019. Similar ones have been donned by Michael B. Jordan and Chadwick Boseman.
His contribution does not only speak loudly in the domain of apparel but through his cross-collaboration with Nike, he cast an impression that set a benchmark for others to follow. There came multiple editions of the “Off White x Nike” collaboration, which innovated sneakers for years.
In the music world as well, he cemented his interest by being a DJ and playing music at venues. He also was a good friend and mate of Kanye West with whom he worked as a creative director for West’s design agency Donda and his covers.
The likes of Mercedes Benz also foraged their way with Virgil Abloh for an artistic concept of a car, making him achieve exceptional heights at a young age.
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He was also named among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2018, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presented an exhibition of his work, calling him “genre-bending artist and designer” in 2019.
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