You can see designer Virgil Abloh’s architecture roots in this Off White collection. Rather than taking sharp turns, he brings forward design foundations–in this case denim and woven pinstriped tops and dresses–and builds on them with more more adventurous structures like flouncy dresses covered in Op-Art checks and an over-sized sweater featuring primary-colored graphics that remind of sculptor Alexander Calder (them art history classes bearing fruit!).
Just as importantly as the designs, Abloh is of the new-new cool kid fabric (“We culture. Rap is the new rock ‘n roll. We the rock stars. It’s been like that for a minute, Hedi Slimane!”) and within his DNA is the inherent ability to speak to the youthful, up and coming, social-media-fueled customer. That’s something he has all over a bunch of luxury brands with 1000x his funding and will mean that if he can hang on and keep stacking layers, it’s his dresses young rock stars will be soon be wearing on red carpets (should they even exist five years from now).
p.s. Don’t sleep on Abloh’s bag game!
ss17 women’s Off-White™ runway show titled “BUSINESS WOMAN” now online at https://t.co/kmoWMZC8nd pic.twitter.com/eUkj6iMTTY
— virgil abloh (@virgilabloh) September 30, 2016
