Founder of Off-White, Virgil Abloh Dies Of Cancer At 41

By Jasmine Qistina  •  29 Nov 2021 in News

Thirsty for JUICE content? Quench your cravings on our Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp

Virgil Abloh, famous fashion designer and artistic director of Louis Vuitton dies of cancer at age 41.

The news broke regarding his death from Virgil Abloh’s own verified Instagram account, yesterday. 

According to the post, Abloh was first diagnosed with “a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma” in 2019. Just in 2018 he was named among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. He chose to keep his diagnosis private and battled the treatments unknown to the public, all while still working on his design career.

“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 statement wrote. 

Virgil Abloh is the first ever African-American man to become the artistic director of Louis Vuitton. He is most famous for founding streetwear brand Off-White, and had made a great innovative impact to the world of footwear through his collaboration with Nike.

The fashion industry is mourning the loss of a visionary. 

LVMH’s official Twitter account tweeted their condolences and said that Abloh was a man “with a beautiful soul and great wisdom.” 

LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Off White are devastated to announce the passing of Virgil Abloh, on Sunday, November 28th, of cancer, which he had been battling privately for several years. pic.twitter.com/CytwZLvSFu

— LVMH (@LVMH) November 28, 2021

Models like Hailey Bieber took to their Instagram to mourn the loss of the designer, writing that he was “a once in a generation creative mind,” who altered the way she looked at street style and fashion. 

Virgil Abloh was working on planning a fashion show for Louis Vuitton’s men’s store opening in Miami, Florida before his untimely passing.