Within eight years Off-White has helped to redefine the concept of “luxury”, rewriting the rules of the game not only for Generation Z and millennials , but for the whole fashion system. Harmoniously combining fluid and relaxed cuts with sophisticated and sculptural accessories , and disseminating the collections of design quotes and references, the brand of Abloh he is credited as maison of trans-generational luxury, developing a narrative that looks to the future and enjoys blurring the line between comfort and sophistication. Strengthened by a consolidated prestige and a privileged relationship with its target audience, Off-White has succeeded in the feat of continuing to innovate season after season , bringing change within the seemingly unchanging temple of luxury and keeping the conversation flowing with the 11 million followers who follow the brand on Instagram.
The hype always exists for a reason. When Off-White debuted in the fashion industry it was 2012, and the competitive scenario looked very different from today. Thanks to its ability to interpret desires, fears and aspirations not only of young people, but also of that niche of luxury consumers most receptive to change regardless of the registry office, the intercultural vision of Abloh and Off-White has established itself for its drive towards a more open, democratic, inclusive fashion .
In this special creative collaboration between Vogue Italia and Off-White - the first in the history of the brand - Liya Kebede , supermodel and Abloh's muse, posed for a team of creatives who met for the first time, under the artistic direction of Vogue Italia , including the photographer Davey Adesida , who grew up in Nigeria and now resides in New York, the New York stylist Matt Holmes and the video maker Teddy Nelson .
© Davey Adesida
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"Off-White has created an important space in fashion and I am happy to be part of it," He says Matt Holmes , who styled the Amandla Stenberg for the cover of TIME magazine. “Virgil's dresses for Off-White are not only memorable: they are iconic even outside the sphere of fashion. I always look with admiration those who manage to create a dialogue with other sectors and bring new narratives into fashion "
For Adesida, the decision taken at the last minute to move the shooting indoors due to the rigidity of the New York climate proved to be a winner. “I was able to capture Liya in the studio with wonderful natural light filtering through the windows. It is curious how a change of plans can lead to the best photographs, it was fortunate to work with a team that believed in my vision and happily organized themselves to adapt to the new situation ” .
Having never met Matt or Liya before - despite having always been a huge admirer of their work and excited to collaborate with them - Adesida describes Liya as a person "With which it is fantastic to work" And "Of great inner and outer beauty" . " Working with a supermodel like her is a very different experience and I hope that the opportunity to do something new together will come back soon."
Liya's relationship with Off-White consolidated when the model walked the catwalk of the Fall / Winter 19 fashion show of the brand. Abloh talks about it in enthusiastic terms: "Liya is a living icon, she represents a symbol of strength, balance, beauty and diversity in an industry that aspires to change - she is a muse for me and for Off-White ™"
Regarding the recent enhancement of inclusiveness by the fashion industry , Kebede tells how at the beginning of his career in 2000, "It was quite normal to live an experience of absolute non-inclusiveness" , “There was only ONE girl on the runway and that girl became me. It's amazing to see the change since then. I think Bethann Hardison made a difference when she brought this issue to everyone's attention. "
Now this change is real . “There are so many beautiful girls and when it comes to gender, today's is a new world - it's wonderful to see this incredible inclusiveness. There was a time when I thought it might just be a passing trend, but now it's really consolidating and moving Black Lives Matter has made a great contribution to making inclusivity the rule " Kebede says.
Perhaps by virtue of his twenty-year career in the fashion industry, Kebede has a convinced optimistic vision of the future, “Inclusiveness should have had space a long time ago and for me it is sad that we only think about it today. Inclusiveness, solidarity and connection they are all we have, we must strive to put aside our differences and try to see what we have in common. We are all connected and we are one - the faster we can see it, the better the world we can create in terms of equality, acceptance and tolerance. "
© Davey Adesida
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The project realized with Vogue - images of Abesida and a video shot by Nelson - focuses on two of the brand's iconic proposals for Spring / Summer 21 , able to enhance the brand's ability to combine sartorial and streetwear approach : on the one hand the celebration of Italian history and history and craftsmanship, evident in the choice of Milan as the seat of the brand's design studio , on the other hand the desire to translate and translate this heritage into a different and contemporary generational context. A confirmation of Off-White as a brand that well embodies the definition of radical refinement .
To take the scene is there 'Burrow Bag' - a compact shoulder bag with a conceptual design, which recalls a land art installation by DAST. Arteam in the crater-like holes carved into the skin as well as in the deep recess in the center of the base.
Then there are the "OUT OF OFFICE" low-top sneakers , inspired by the aesthetics of the 80s and 90s models - perfect both combined with soft tailored garments and worn with comfortable joggers, in a successful contamination between the versatility of free time and the formality of 'office wear. "The concept behind the OUT OF OFFICE collection is to embrace the power of creativity" says Abloh, "To put people in a position to escape banality and create their own world, a world of infinite possibilities".
