BlackMilk founder James Lillis dies after tragic accident on holiday

Renowned fashion designer and founder of Brisbane-based clothing company BlackMilk, James Lillis, has died after a tragic accident while on holiday.

Black Milk founder James Lillis has died in an accident while on holidays.

Founder of BlackMilk and well-known Queensland fashion designer James Lillis has died after a tragic accident while on holiday.

Where the designer was holidaying and the circumstances leading up to his death are unknown.

In a tribute posted on Thursday, the BlackMilk team said they were shocked and grieving.

“Our founder James, or as some of you know, jL, had an accident while on holiday,” they said in a video posted to Facebook.

“He managed to hold on until his wife Linda, their two daughters, and his best friend arrived to be by his side, but he succumbed to his injuries and passed away peacefully.”

The team urged people to share their memories and photos of James to celebrate his life as a community.

“BlackMilk is his legacy so also share your stories around what BlackMilk and this community means to you,” they said.

“ … and in doing so, help us celebrate the life of a true visionary and brilliant entrepreneur.”

BlackMilk has been worn by Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry and was labelled one of the fastest growing businesses after it was founded in Brisbane in 2009.

The brand has collaborated with Pokemon, Warner Bros., The Legend of Zelda and The Witcher.

Thousands of loyal fans shared their grief to Black Milk Clothing’s social media pages, saying Mr Lillis’ legacy would live on.

Queensland model Ella Van Seteres was among the many mourners in disbelief.

“I’m sorry BM. Thinking of James and you all,” she wrote.

His wife, Linda Lillis shared their future vision for the brand in an article with The Bugg Report just two weeks ago.

“We’re all about innovation and staying ahead of the curve. We’re continuously exploring new ideas and trends to keep surprising and delighting our customers,” she said.

“The future looks bright, and we’re excited to see where it takes us.”

Customers took to the comments to share their condolences.

“This is such sad news, sending love to all of his family and friends,” someone said.

Another customer said they were one of the first fittings before extra large sizing was introduced.

“jL stood with me for ages chatting about body shapes and sizes and what his goal was for the future,” they said.

“ … not once did he make me feel uncomfortable.”

Another person described Mr Lillis as an “electric ball of energy.”

“He created this wonderful community that introduced me to some of the best people I’ve ever met,” they said.

Mr Lillis had previously told The Courier-Mail that when he first started designing clothes, he pawned his CD player to get money to purchase a sewing machine.

“I bought a sewing machine (pretty random, I know). To this day I’m not sure why I did it. I just wanted to … sew something,” he said.

“Of course, I had absolutely no idea how to use it, but I didn’t care. I would just have to figure it out! That was all part of the adventure.”

Originally published as BlackMilk founder James Lillis dies after tragic accident on holiday