PARIS — Virgil Abloh, the British-raised, Los Angeles-based fashion designer who created the aesthetic for the Adidas brand alongside Kanye West, and who created the artistic director position at Louis Vuitton last year, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 41.
Abloh, who was born in Wolverhampton, England, and raised in Kent, Kentish Town, was diagnosed with throat cancer and radiation in 2013 and 2014. He was first diagnosed as a student at the Central Saint Martins, an arts school in London, according to his website.
Virgil-Waste-Abloh.com Virgil Abloh, 38, won the 2015 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award for Menswear.
The mother of his first son, Yao, revealed the news Saturday, writing on Instagram, “Its with broken hearts that we share that Virgil passed away today surrounded by family and friends. Due to a mysterious mass that appeared on his neck, and the continuing battle with cancer, he was forced to pull out of any activities he was involved in. We continue to pray for a full recovery for his wife, Jo, and their two sons, Tiger and Zaya.”
Last November, Abloh, who later became creative director of Louis Vuitton and co-founder of Off-White, an increasingly influential luxury-clothing label, was hospitalized with appendicitis.
His mother, Joan Abloh, said he underwent surgery and didn’t suffer any complications and was “hopeful and excited for this new adventure.”