OFF-WHITE

BRAND E FASHION DESIGNER,  O

Off-White: the story of the brand that turned the spotlight on streetwear

Off-White, a brand based in Milan born in 2013 from the creativity of Virgil Abloh. Architect, DJ, designer, Abloh is a multifaceted artist who in a few years has built his empire. Significantly, becoming one of the most influential personalities of the fashion system. After the experience of Pyrex Vision, the brand born in 2012 and which he himself defined as “an artistic experiment”. Mainly, which consisted in customizing old Ralph Lauren and Champion t-shirts and sweatshirts, Virgil decided to found his brand. This is how the brand was founded in 2013.

Virgil Abloh

The brand is the gray area between black and white, a project that was born as a dialogue between art, fashion, music and luxury. Mainly, the goal is to add an intellectual layer, to bring streetwear, which has always been considered something economic, in the luxury panorama. The objective was achieved, according to the Lyst platform, in the quarter from July to September 2019. In fact Off White ranked first among the most sought after and purchased brands online. A revelation brand, which has the merit of having turned the spotlight on the world of streetwear. Notably, which from a niche phenomenon has effectively entered the panorama of luxury fashion.

Style Aesthetics

The brand is now a cult, capable of generating hype at every drop. Virgil Abloh is often referred to as the King Midas of fashion. The graphic prints, the black and white diagonal lines and the arrows, the industrial background, the quotes and the lettering, are the hallmarks of Off White. Notoably, and then the quotation marks. Abloh usually inserts words within these signs, a trick that arouses new perceptions. Also which triggers the search for new meanings, and so the words are removed from the context and can take on new meanings. We recall the writing ”Sculpture” on a bag, or ”for walking” on the boots.

Streetwear is linked to Duchamp in my mind. This is the idea of the ready-made, it’s like hip-hop, it’s sampling. I take James Brown, tear him apart and make a new song. It’s Warhol, Marilyn Monroe, or Campbell’s soup cans.

From t-shirts and sweatshirts, Off White has come to create complete collections ranging from menswear to womenswear (the latter since 2014). Which are presented during Paris fashion week. The business and the proposals have grown and the brand also signed a collection for children and a line of eyewear.

Controversy and accusations of plagiarism

Since its inception, the brand has been the subject of various allegations of plagiarism. To which Virgil Abloh responded in this way “Duchamp is my lawyer“. The first dates back to 2017, when the Paige brand. They accused Off White of having copied the diagonal lines that the denim brand used to put on its garments before 2013. Another accusation of plagiarism regarding diagonal lines was the one made by the Norwegian sportswear brand Helly Hansen. Which pointed the finger at a long-sleeved t-shirt. But the most famous one is that related to the logo, extremely similar, if not the same, to that of Glasgow airport. This is why Off White changed the logo in 2019. From the arrows inscribed in the square, it moved on to the silhouette of a face framed on the sides by two hands and the words Off and White.

Collaborations

Master in collaborations, Virgil Abloh collaborated with many brands. Not only related to the fashion world. The Off White X Ikea collaboration of 2019 and the one with Pioneer (company that deals with DJ equipment) are famous. And also with the brands Bon Marche, Selfridges, Timberland, Jimmy Choo, Rimowa. But most of all Nike. It was 2017 and THE TEN collection became very popular, ten of the most iconic silhouettes of Nike sneakers revised according to the Off White aesthetic. Success was assured, Virgil followed his famous 3% approach, the idea that you can visually create a new design by changing an original by 3%, and create a collection that makes history.

LVMH bets on Virgil Abloh’s brand

In July 2021, the acquisition of a majority stake in Off White, equal to 60%, by the luxury centre LVMH was announced. 40% will remain in the hands of the founder and designer Virgil Abloh, while the New Guards Group (which has passed under the control of Farfetech since 2019) remains the operating partner of the brand.

Death of Virgil Abloh

Countless questions were raised, about Virgil Abloh’s legacy after his untimely death in November 2021. Almost six months after the death of its founder Virgil Abloh, Off-White has named Ib Kamara as its new image and art director. In his new role, Kamara will now guide the vision and direction of the label.

Ib Kamara

Andrea Grilli, Off-White CEO stated,

“Ibrahim’s relationship with Virgil and Off-White, born and nurtured through private messages on Instagram, has blossomed both personally and professionally over the past three years,”