All you need to know about Off-White™

OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH™ - Yellow Industrial Belt (blondeallure.com)

The Milan-based fashion label, Off-White, has quickly become one of the most sought after streetwear brands since its conception in late 2013. If you haven't heard of it, you are sure to have seen it, think diagonal zebra striped hoodies and yellow warning tape belts. Before we dive into the creative forces behind its phenomenal success let's take a quick look at its history and the man who started it all.

Virgil Abloh, American fashion designer and household name, grew up in Rockford, Illinois. He first studied engineering and then went on to getting a masters degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Here, he discovered his passion for creating structural forms. Before his global success with Off-White, Virgil started out with his first streetwear brand called Pyrex Vision.

It was well known for having its logo placed on the back of plaid shirts and blank hoodies accompanied by basketball player Michael Jordan’s number, 23. The brand was building a serious following until it faced claims that the company had been reusing Ralph Lauren's flannels and then re-selling them at overpriced figures, after putting their own logo on the products. Even though this label was short-lived, it was an important stepping stone for Virgil to grow and then later create the iconic Off-White that we all know today.

Now, the widely popular label has opened showrooms in 15 locations around the world, all the while acquiring a star-studded line-up of customers. The logo itself is unmistakable throughout the fashion community. Virgil decided to utilize a graphic that the general public was already subconsciously aware of: black and white striped lines, a pattern seen on warning signs, road crossings, and even among other brands like Adidas. The designer made a smart decision by broadening the brand's association, unlike most designers who create original logos from scratch. The Off-White logo is placed in the same position, on the back of clothing, in an echo to his first Pyrex brand. Virgil also titled the first collection 'The Youth Will Always Win,' which is the same title that was used for his first collection at Pyrex Vision.

Off-White x Ikea - Bag Collaboration (thefader.com)

Off-White “For Walking” - Cowboy Boot (snobette.com)

Off-White x Ikea Collaboration (wsj.com)

Nike x Off-White Collaboration (news.nike.com)

In recent years, Virgil started to incorporate “quotes” into his designs. For example, he inscribed “SHOELACES” on shoelaces, engraved “SCULPTURE” on a bag he collaborated with IKEA on, and even labelled his website “WEBSITE”. Thom Bettridge, from Berlin-based fashion mag, 032c, explains that, “Quotation marks are one of the many tools that Abloh uses to operate in a mode of ironic detachment… Abloh rejects the 'who-did-it-first mentality' of previous generations in favor of the 'copy-paste logic' of the Internet and its inhabitants. His new order is protected by a fortress of irony.” This understanding mirrors the exact ideology of the brand; in that Off-White provides room for people to live and create however they want.

Virgil Abloh x Nike Air VaporMax (highsnobiety.com)

Virgil Abloh x Nike Air Jordan 1 “UNC” (highsnobiety.com)

Nike x Off White x Serena Williams (highxtar.com)

Like all awesome brands, Off-White has collaborated with many companies. One of their greatest collabs, with Nike, produced a collection titled 'The Ten,' where Virgil deconstructed ten signature sneakers, including the Air Max 97 and the Air Jordan 1. This has been the hardest collaboration for sneakerheads and fashion enthusiasts alike to get their hands on, due to the low quantity that was released. Alongside this drop, Off-White has collaborated with Levi's, Moncler, Umbro, Heron Preston, Kith, Rimowa, Converse, and Jimmy Choo to name a few. In his collab with Levi's, Virgil used bolder colours and refashioned denim in a way that has produced a 'wear-and-tear' style in the Made & Crafted capsule. The designer has also partnered with Nike to create custom pieces for legendary tennis player, Serena Williams. He unveiled a limited edition bottle for a member of the LVMH conglomerate: moët & chandon, and has recently collaborated with Swedish furniture corporation, IKEA, for Paris Fashion Week. There are many more partnerships to come with lots of exciting rumors in the works. With every collab, Off-White pays tribute to the nostalgic silhouette of another brand's design and delivers a fresh aesthetic straight from their own ethos, a formula they have become world-renowned for.

OFF-WHITE x Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star (highsnobiety.com)

Rimowa x Off White - Luggage (buro247.me)

OFF-WHITE x Möet & Chandon (highsnobiety)

What Virgil has achieved with Off-White is something quite extraordinary. He has cultivated an avant-garde approach to his designs, all the while merging streetwear culture and high end fashion in order to create a wicked cool hybrid, if you ask me. Even the brand's name holds true to this statement as it is defined as a middle ground between black and white, or you could say between streetwear and high end fashion, echoing the combination of the two extremes.

Virgil Abloh - Off-White (highsnobiety.com)

With five years under the belt now, Off-White is successfully providing styles to a generation that demands control over how their apparel can be worn. Their deconstructive attitude gives something new and outstanding to the world of fashion and the industry as a whole. It is exciting to see what Off-White will do next, and with his recent appointment as creative director of Louis Vuitton, it is clear that Virgil Abloh is here to stay.