Celebrities express their condolences at the passing of Virgil Abloh

Louis Vuitton artistic director Virgil Abloh passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer, and tributes from celebrities who worked with or admired the designer poured in immediately.

Musicians, athletes, and actors all expressed their sadness at the death of the Off-White founder, who was also the first person of African descent to head the iconic fashion house's menswear line.

Pop supergroup BTS, who were wearing Louis Vuitton during the American Music Awards, tweeted that Virgil was a “true creative genius” and that it was an “honor” to work with him.

Meanwhile, actor Riz Ahmed described Virgil as someone who “stretched culture” and “changed the game.”

Lenny Kravitz also asserted that Virgil Abloh had left an “indelible mark” on the world.

Meanwhile, Venus Williams wrote a lengthy post about the designer on her Instagram account, calling him an inspiration and declaring that she loves him, “always have and always will.”

Even rival fashion houses offered their condolences, with the Gucci Twitter account calling Virgil an “immense inspiration” that will be “deeply missed.”

In a statement it put out on its Twitter account, Louis Vuitton revealed that Virgil had been privately battling cancer for several years now. Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, called Virgil a “genius designer and a visionary.”

Check out other celebrities and personalities we have lost this year in the gallery below.