How Off-White Is Becoming Fashion's Hottest Label

Off-White c/o VIRGIL ABLOH™ is one of the most buzzed about labels in fashion. But how did Off-White become such an international sensation?

!!! @richthekid in fw18 runway Off-White™ @OffWht pic.twitter.com/mIFnyQG8nW
— virgil abloh (@virgilabloh) February 22, 2018
Abloh, who trained as an architect at the Illinois Institute of Technology, has said that he has an appreciation for a Renaissance as well as The Bauhaus aesthetic. Born in 1980, at a time when pop-culture was resplendent with fine art, the emergence of streetwear, hip-hop, and cosmopolitan bohemianism, Abloh was able to hone his aptitude for mixing different facets of culture in a way that feels relevant.

His design foundation is also deeply rooted in youth culture, which might explain some of his success staying fresh and relevant. However, much of that design philosophy is grounded in the designer’s disavowal of fashion cycles. Instead, he drops products that he deems are in the “now.” Respectively, the meaning of Off-White is that it’s an aesthetic that inhabits the grey space that is neither black nor white, but rather off-white.

Another way Off-White catapulted to the top of fashion’s hot list was with a series of collaborations. From Jimmy Choo to Nike, Abloh curated collections with luxury and streetwear brands alike—much akin to the wildly popular Supreme x Louis Vuitton collection, which debuted at Paris Haute Couture Week last year.

In addition to collaborations, Abloh also releases Off-White merchandise at a wide range of prices.

You can order online or specialty retailers, like Dover Street Market, even though all products are merchandised in Milan.

The SS18 womenswear collection (below) is a mixture of athleisure and high fashion, with most outfits priced at around $1,500 to $2,000, which is on par with many ready-to-wear labels.

Books, posters, phone cases, and other Off-White accessories are available, but sell out quickly, as these items are cheaply priced (in comparison to the rest of the label) allowing people to get their hands on something that has been deemed so cool.

About the author

Jill Di Donato

Fashion Editor

Jill is a New York native who holds a BA in Literature from Barnard College, and an MFA in writing from Columbia University. She is the author of the novel Beautiful Garbage (She Writes Press, 2013) about the downtown Manhattan art and fashion scene in the 1980s. A former staff writer for The Huffington Post and Bustle, Jill comes to Culture Trip after working with Refinery 29, Vice, Salon, Paste Style, Los Angeles Times, Nylon, Shopify, Autre, and producing content for emerging fashion labels. She teaches classes about fashion and culture at Barnard College and The Fashion Institute of Technology. Her prized possessions are her Gucci fanny pack, vintage rocker t-shirts, and her grandmother's collection of costume jewelry. She's always on the lookout for a gem-encrusted turban.