Virgil Abloh, the menswear designer for premium brands like Louis Vuitton and Off White, died after a private battle with cancer on Sunday, according to France-based company LVMH. The fashion pioneer was 41 years old.

The announcement revealed that Abloh had been struggling with the disease privately “for several years.”

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Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton said in a statement on Sunday, “We are all shocked by this terrible news” while expressing his grief. 

He added, “Virgil was not only a genius designer and 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 his loved ones on the passing of their husband, father, brother, son and friend.

Abloh leaves behind two children– Lowe and Grey– and his wife Shannon Abloh, according to reports from Associated Press.

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A statement from Abloh’s family on the designer’s Instagram account said for the last two years, Abloh battled cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer in which a tumor occurs in the heart.

“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,” the statement read.

In 2018, Abloh became the first Black artistic director of men’s wear at Louis Vuitton in the French design house’s storied history. A first generation Ghanaian American whose seamstress mother taught him to sew, Abloh had no formal fashion training but had a degree in engineering and a master’s in architecture.

(With AP inputs)