Showing in a wooded setting within Paris’s Maison de L’Unesco, Off White showed a mix of men’s and women’s looks for pre-fall 2017.
The title of the show, “Seeing Things,” is a reference to writer John Berger’s book and four-part 1972 BBC series Ways of Seeing, which examined Western perspective as it relates to art and images. Indeed, the show opens with an excerpt of Berger’s narration and segue’s into an unreleased song by Quavo. At the same time, the title also recalls Kylie Jenner’s popular tag phrase, “Like, Realizing Stuff,” which she printed on t-shirts and sold in her online store.
The dual reference of the title very much speaks to Off White’s appeal, which is at turns artful, but still in step with pop culture and streetwear hype. The garments themselves show Abloh’s affinity for a slow but steady progression forward, making small adjustments and new statements, not unlike the (off) white Birch trees that served as a backdrop, leaves are shed, only to return in a slightly new form.
Newness appeared in the form of checkerboard and hounds tooth prints, roomy trousers, angora knit dresses and beautiful off-shoulder tiered dresses and golf-leaf pins made in collaboration with London accessory designer Duffy. It’s all very cool yet unassuming, and exactly up the alley of downtown girls worldwide.
