OFF-WHITE SS18 - Online Now
25 April 2019Endlessly influential, Virgil Abloh unveils his vision for SS18.
Temperature Denim Jacket | Long Sleeve Firetape Tee | Firetape 5 Pocket Slim Jean | Diagonal Spray Sneaker
Firetape Varsity Jacket | Diagonal Temperature Slim Tee | Exagon Scarf | 5-Pocket Slim Jean | Diagonal Spray Sneaker
Cropped Script Hoody | Cropped 5-Pocket Tee | Firetape Sock | Diagonal Spray Sneaker
Since launching in 2014 Off-White's creative director - the now (in)famous Virgil Abloh - has unleashed a polarising "visual language" that has captured the mindset of millennial consumers and left an inner sanctum of esoteric fashion elites reeling. Vexed by the stratospheric rise of fashion's new messiah, who by their standards has emerged as an unvetted and 'under-qualified' challenge to their self-imposed industry authority. What this analogue outlook fails to realise is that Abloh is a symbol of the times we live in.
As direct-to-consumer communication, zeitgeist-led design, and a nuanced understanding of the post-modern luxury consumer replaces the need for insider industry approval, Virgil's multi-faceted and individualistic rise to reverence will likely redefine the cost of entry for a new generation of design icons. In an age when a designer's Instagram feed is the new PR and self-deprecating irony is the new black, the stage has been meticulously set for the emergence of a new breed of designer who makes up for their lack of on-paper credentials with a creative relevance that established labels may be structurally unfit to contend with. Whether Abloh simply pre-empted an inevitable market shift or strategically redressed the international design stage to suit his own vision may never be fully determined, but Off-White has indisputably established itself as a key player in the ongoing blur of streetwear and high fashion.
Perhaps central to the label's success, Off-White encapsulates the essence of aspiration in every sense of the word. Single-mindedly committed to earning the acceptance of the fashion elite in a climate which traditionally separated streetwear from luxury fashion, Virgil Abloh successfully occupied a new place in the market and then redrew the boundaries of an industry to place himself at the centre of international design. Making masterful use of high fashion and low culture references, from his label's headquarters in Milan he creates a real-time commentary on contemporary culture.
This reflective aesthetic (which holds a mirror up to the world and dares them to look) was applied ever-more deftly for the label's SS18 menswear presentation. Joining forces with American artist, Jenny Holzer, Off-White's SS18 reflected upon the ongoing international refugee crisis. Drawing inspiration from the unofficial symbol of this humanitarian disaster, a life-jacket, Abloh drew global focus to the issue with a runway show that was as politically loaded as it was visually impressive.
As the simmering pot of international tension reaches boiling point, Abloh reflected on the disasters of war with poetry from Polish poet Anna Swierczynski written during the Warsaw uprising of 1944. This subversive and anti-establishment commentary on pertinent geo-political issues sat in stark contrast with the frivolity and excess of fashion week: another shining example of Virgil's ongoing dialogue with a generation of 'woke' consumers.
Concept-driven design which seamlessly trickles down to inform highly coppable streetwear product, Off-White's SS18 collection is now available at END.
