The founder of the high-street luxury label, Off-White and Menswear designer for Louis Vuitton passes away yesterday due to a rare condition of Cancer, according to a statement released on Instagram – citing it as a ‘rare, aggressive form of Cancer called Cardiac Angiosarcoma.’
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
To speak of street style fashion without speaking of Virgil Abloh is like speaking of Influencers without Instagram.
Tributes flooded social media on Sunday after the news of Abloh’s passing broke, and this by far the most tweeted about topic since the news of his passing.
Based in Milan, Off-White brought high-quality Italian manufacturing to American-style streetwear, drip-fed to consumers via social media and the tightly controlled releases favored by the likes of Supreme.
Abloh may not have invented luxury streetwear, but he certainly helped to popularize it — both through his collections for Off-White and through unusual collaborations with everyone from Evian to Jimmy Choo. As well as running his own label, he also acted as a sustainable design advisor for Evian and collaborated with a wide range of brands and institutions, from Nike to the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
The brand who nurtures a following of 10.7 Million has taken to Instagram saying, “Off-White™, New Guards Group and Farfetch are devastated to share the news of the passing of Virgil Abloh on Sunday, November 28th.”
Bella Hadid took her favorite memories with the designer on Instagram, which received an engagement of about 1,347,493 within 24 hours.
We are heartbroken by the news of Virgil Abloh's passing. pic.twitter.com/JurKPSItn3
— Nike (@Nike) November 28, 2021
This news has become the most-spoken about topic overnight.
This is where Black met the Whites, and Virgil made that possible. We see that with almost all of his drops for Off-White. Virgil Abloh was the first Black Creative Director for Louis Vuitton and his impact on the fashion industry is undeniable.
Fellow sportswear brands, or some may as see as competitors such as Nike have also wished the artist their condolences.
Kim Kardashian, also a close friend to Virgil through her husband Kanye West, has expressed her deepest sorrows.
Thank you for popularizing street style in the 21st century, thank you for making inclusivity cool again. Thank you for breaking stereotypes through fashion and letting the world feel easy in believing that there are many different forms to exist than the one we already know. The industry crowned you as an icon and it will always believe in the power of *your* influence, as we continue to live in it.
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