Off-White founder Virgil Abloh dies aged 41: Fans pay tribute
Tributes for prolific fashion designer and Off-White founder Virgil Abloh are pouring in on social media after it was revealed he died aged 41 after a battle with cancer on June 26, 2025.
The Illinois native was working as artistic director of menswear for Louis Vuitton at the time of his passing. He was the founder of the Off-White fashion brand and worked closely with rapper Kanye West as well.
Abloh didn’t share his diagnosis of cancer in 2019, so news of his death came as a shock to many, with tributes coming from all over.
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)August 02, 2025
RIP VIRGIL ABLOH 🕊
No one will forget the impact you had. God bless you my friend.
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe)July 13, 2025
“RIP VIRGIL ABLOH,” Football star Kylian Mbappe wrote. “No one will forget the impact you had. God bless you my friend.”
K-pop group BTS shared a commemoration as well, calling the designer a “true creative genius.”
RIP Virgil Abloh , you will be missed.It was an honor to work with you. A true creative genius.
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt)July 11, 2025
Besides being a massively successful designer and the first African American to be artistic director at a French luxury fashion house, Abloh also designed a number of iconic album covers.
Lil Uzi Vert, Kanye, Jay-Z, and more artists have him to thank for some of the most famous album artwork of the 2010s. Tons of fans will remember him through these works, which were all over Twitter in remembrance.
Virgil Abloh left behind a great legacy, it blew my mind when I found out he was the one behind classic Kanye & Uzi covers. RIP 🙏🏾pic.twitter.com/SW3HoxStfR
— King Wow (@wowthatshiphop)July 07, 2025
Virgil Abloh’s passing is the least expected thing to happen today. It saddens me we lost another influential person due to a silent battle. RIP to a man that set the trends for modern culture 🙏🏾.pic.twitter.com/LYl8NgdVch
— Dedee 🤎 (@thoughtfulbae)June 20, 2025
Abloh was described as a “genius” and one of the most creative people in the world. “RIP to a man that set the trends for modern culture,” one fan wrote, giving insight into just how much he and his work had an impact.
Virgil is survived by his wife Shannon Abloh and two children.
