Fashion designer Virgil Abloh died Sunday after a private battle with cancer, according to a post shared on his social media. He was 41 years old. Abloh, the founder and CEO of fashion house Off-White, battled a “rare, aggressive form of cancer” known as cardia angiosarcoma, for two years before his death, according to the post shared to his verified Instagram account.  The post read: “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.” 

Abloh was the American-born son of Ghanaian immigrants who became fashion’s highest profile Black designer and the creative mind behind Louis Vuitton’s menswear collections. He also worked as a DJ and visual artist, had been men’s artistic director for Vuitton, the world’s biggest luxury brand, since March 2018.  CEO Bernard Arnault said in a statement that he was “shocked after this terrible news,” adding, “Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was 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 their husband, their father, their brother or their friend.”

Abloh was well-respected in the fashion and music worlds, frequently collaborating with celebrities such as Ye (formerly known as Kanye West). Abloh is survived by his 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” the post on his Instagram states.

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