Virgil Abloh dead at 41 after private cancer battle

Louis Vuitton and Off-White designer Virgil Abloh has tragically died aged 41, after a secret battle with serious illness.

Louis Vuitton and Off-White fashion designer Virgil Abloh has died at 41 after a secret battle with cancer.

His death was confirmed in a post on his Instagram account, The Sun reports.

“We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend,” the caption reads in part.

“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.

“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.”

Fashion designer Virgil Abloh has died at 41 after a battle with cancer. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Abloh, pictured with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West after the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2019 show. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

The death has come as a shock to many, given the private nature of Abloh’s cancer battle.

LVMH Group tweeted they are “devastated” over Abloh’s passing.

GQ also tweeted their condolences along with a photo of Abloh.

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

The global GQ community is devastated to learn of the death of Virgil Abloh. Virgil was the consummate modern multi-hyphenate creative. He changed fashion and culture forever and opened doors to whole new generations. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/N9tI69KInA

— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) November 28, 2021

Tributes continue to pour in for Abloh, with the Instagram post garnering more than one million likes and 65,000 comments.

“I am so sorry to read this. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones,” designer Marc Jacobs commented on the Instagram post.

“May you Rest In Peace and Power dear Virgil.”

In addition to being a fashion designer, Abloh was also an entrepreneur and DJ.

Abloh earned a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and went on to get a Master’s Degree in Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

In 2012, he founded the Milan-based label Off-White and served as the chief executive officer until his death.

With Kendall Jenner at the 2018 Met Gala. Picture: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

With Bella Hadid at the 2017 CFDA Fashion Awards. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Abloh worked closely with Kanye West, now known as Ye, with TMZ suggesting that the rapper was one of the few who had knowledge of the designer’s illness.

The two have reportedly been friends since around 2009.

But an alleged feud, which made it into some of Ye’s songs, derailed the friendship for years.

However, in 2018, the two appeared to reconcile and were seen posing together at the Paris Louis show that year.

The family asked for privacy as they grieve and mourn Abloh’s death.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission