Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton since 2018, passed away after battling cancer 'privately' for several years. He breathed his last on Sunday at the age of 41. LVMH issued a statement on social media and mourned the demise of Virgil. He was the first black American creative director of the top French fashion house. Virgil was also the creator of Off-White, an Haute streetwear brand found in 2013. 

The statement read, "LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Off White are devastated to announce the passing of Virgil Abloh, which he had been battling privately for several years. We are all shocked by this terrible news. Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, but also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sorrow and we are all thinking of his loved ones after the passing of their husband, their father, their brother or their friend." 

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

Recommended Read: Virgil Abloh talks about creating opportunities as Louis Vuitton buys major stake in his luxury street wear label 'Off-White'

In July, LVMH announced that it was taking a majority stake in Virgil's streetwear label Off-White. It took a 60% stake in Off-White whereas Virgil retained 40%. In a statement, the creator of the brand said, "I’m also honoured to use this partnership to deepen my longstanding commitment to expand opportunities for diverse individuals and foster greater equity and inclusion in the industries we serve. This is an incredible new platform to take the disruption we’ve achieved together to a whole new level."

(Source: Twitter)