Off White RTW Spring 2023
The crush of fans outside the Off-White showroom at Paris Fashion Week was familiar. Virgil Abloh may no longer be with us, but the brand he created continues to appeal to children who have seen in him a portal to the hitherto hermetic world of haute couture.
Inside, a white cube stood in the center of a vast space carpeted in bathed blue of blue light. For his first outing as Creative and Image Director of Off-White, Ib Kamara has chosen a signature color that he plans to make a central part of the brand's identity as it traces its path after the untimely death of Abloh, known as the "V" to those around him.
In line with the collective approach of the founder, Kamara imagined an immersive performance bringing together the Afro-punk group Tshegue, Cape Verdean dancer and choreographer Nicolas Huchard and London filmmaker Stephen Isaac Wilson.
"It's a community effort to bring it all to life," Kamara said before the show , held on the eve of what would have been Abloh's 42nd birthday.
Born in Sierra Leone and based in London, Kamara is known for her work that explores gender codes , homosexuality and black identity, all themes that Abloh brought from the fringes to the center of the luxury conversation.
His student collection is inspired by the human body and features anatomical details, such as stitched female torsos in white thread on suit jackets. Denim pieces were laser printed with full-body X-rays, which also appeared as a ghostly pattern on a white suit.
Kamara played with the meteor holes that became an Off-White signature by placing portholes on everything from a biker-style leather jumpsuit to a sleeveless sweater dress.
The look was in line with the high-end urban aesthetic established by Abloh, although Kamara had brought more personal touches, with form-fitting knits with cording applications in geometric patterns reminiscent of traditional African art, and the closing look, a flower-embroidered bridal veil covering the head. “I bring my African perspective,” he said.
Designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier and Junya Watanabe have long borrowed references from cultures Africans for their collections. An African designer bringing his cultural contribution to a brand belonging to the luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is a small revolution that is not lost on Kamara.
"The legacy of V and Off-White opens doors, I hope, to children around the world to be inspired to dream with us,” he said.
Outside the show, a reporter was accosted by two young men who said they were traveling from London to "Network" with fashion industry insiders and promote their streetwear brand, Spectrum Only. It was a living illustration of Abloh's legacy: he had done it, so why not them?
Inside, a white cube stood in the center of a vast space carpeted in bathed blue of blue light. For his first outing as Creative and Image Director of Off-White, Ib Kamara has chosen a signature color that he plans to make a central part of the brand's identity as it traces its path after the untimely death of Abloh, known as the "V" to those around him.
In line with the collective approach of the founder, Kamara imagined an immersive performance bringing together the Afro-punk group Tshegue, Cape Verdean dancer and choreographer Nicolas Huchard and London filmmaker Stephen Isaac Wilson.
"It's a community effort to bring it all to life," Kamara said before the show , held on the eve of what would have been Abloh's 42nd birthday.
Born in Sierra Leone and based in London, Kamara is known for her work that explores gender codes , homosexuality and black identity, all themes that Abloh brought from the fringes to the center of the luxury conversation.
His student collection is inspired by the human body and features anatomical details, such as stitched female torsos in white thread on suit jackets. Denim pieces were laser printed with full-body X-rays, which also appeared as a ghostly pattern on a white suit.
Kamara played with the meteor holes that became an Off-White signature by placing portholes on everything from a biker-style leather jumpsuit to a sleeveless sweater dress.
The look was in line with the high-end urban aesthetic established by Abloh, although Kamara had brought more personal touches, with form-fitting knits with cording applications in geometric patterns reminiscent of traditional African art, and the closing look, a flower-embroidered bridal veil covering the head. “I bring my African perspective,” he said.
Designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier and Junya Watanabe have long borrowed references from cultures Africans for their collections. An African designer bringing his cultural contribution to a brand belonging to the luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is a small revolution that is not lost on Kamara.
"The legacy of V and Off-White opens doors, I hope, to children around the world to be inspired to dream with us,” he said.
Outside the show, a reporter was accosted by two young men who said they were traveling from London to "Network" with fashion industry insiders and promote their streetwear brand, Spectrum Only. It was a living illustration of Abloh's legacy: he had done it, so why not them?
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