Virgil Abloh, the first creator of the original mix between luxury and streetwear, founder of Off White and creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear (LVMH group), died Sunday 28 November, struck down by cancer at the age of 41. Born in Rockford, Illinois, to Ghanaian parents, Abloh graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and earned a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. After an internship at Fendi and the collaboration with his friend Kanye West on various projects, he founded Off White in 2013 in Milan and collaborated with Nike, Levi’s, Jimmy Choo, Moncler, Champion, Converse, Rimowa, Evian and Ikea doing thus leading to unprecedented partnerships between luxury and streetwear. Since 2018 he has been at the helm of Louis Vuitton menswear. When LVMH acquires the majority of Off White, Abloh remains 40% of the shares and the creative helm of the brand. In 2018 Virgin Abloh is included in the list of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time Magazine.
