Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
PARIS, France — What is Virgil Abloh's Off White? If not simply a phenomenon of 21st century graphic design applied to fashion (the man basically owns diagonal traffic stripes), then it's an exercise in colliding worlds and could be why the womenswear line by this art director-turned-fashion designer feels somewhat removed from the screen-printed sweaters and tees that are his bread and butter.
But with the oh-so ‘millennial’ buzz surrounding Abloh, there is no denying that the mix of pulled-apart pinstripe shirting, witchy pleated cocktail dresses, red leather tracksuits and tie-dye flares that came down his Spring/Summer 2017 runway will find its girl somewhere in the cybersphere.
You could wax lyrical on the subtle design references he applied to these clothes (some from the great avant-gardists, others barely seasons old), but the big takeaway was the business-meets-pleasure attitude that ran from the monogrammed blouses and sporty racerback tanks to floaty satin rompers and harlequin skirts worn with hoodies.
