It’s weird – this think-piece feels overdue, yet not, all at the same time. Where does one even begin attempting to trace back the lasting impact which the late Virgil Abloh, and his creative brainchild, Off-White, have made towards progressing youth fashion culture forward? I guess we start at the beginning. Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh was established in Milan in 2012, founded by creative polymath Abloh under the parent organisation, New Guards Group. By this time, Abloh had already created a name for himself within the global creative field – forming nascent streetwear projects such as Pyrex (which subsequently evolved into Off-White), working for Ye under his creative agency, Donda, and designing a wide range of product, such as the Ye’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and “Yeezus” album covers, plus so much more.
This period of time is arguably one of the most important in terms of its lasting impact on Black youth culture, as the collaboration of Donda – which then included the likes of Heron Preston of his self-named brand and Calvin Klein, Matthew Williams of 1017 ALYX 9SM and Givenchy, as well as Virgil Abloh, and more. From designing garments under the creative moniker of Been Trill, which had a massive impact on Black New York fashion culture, this creative crew also operated as a deejaying collective, merging their influences and taking over the nightlife with fashion-centred soirées. This is precisely why I reference this period of time as culture-shifting – as the current local creative climate for young artists seems to be following suit – largely within the Johannesburg and Cape Town cultural scenes. Two poignant examples of local collectives following suit with somewhat similar blueprints are Broke (CPT) and Franasonic (JHB).
The former, BROKE, define themselves as, “a cross-cultural clothing brand that aims to tell the stories of those regarded as misfits, and/or the rebels of society.” This definition encompasses a lot as BROKE have managed to expand and progress into more than just garments; it’s also more than the weekly parties they host in collaboration with Tigers Milk – the infamous BROKE Klubhouse. This is a community – a brotherhood spawned from a mutual appreciation. The latter, Franasonic, is also a youth-focused cross-functional clothing brand that has morphed into a digital multimedia experience. Accompanied by unique editorials inspired by overseas zines and fashion publications, as well as in-person fashion pop-ups slash soirees, it’s pretty clear that the local creative scene is in extremely capable hands.
Many don’t actually know that Abloh was not a fashion designer by education but actually a trained and qualified architect but I personally feel that this is quite evident within his structural codes for Off-White (and later Louis Vuitton) – which were continuously updated throughout his tenure. The late designer was obsessive about so many things – one of them being utilising fashion as an intersection for all other forms of art, music, film, literature, and more. Take a closer look at Off-White’s first posthumous collection without Abloh – titled “Spaceship Earth, an ‘Imaginary Experience’” – a fitting ode to a creative genius of colour who changed the world forever.
The show was characterised by Virgil’s best hits – absurdly oversized straight caps and fluffy bucket hats, paired with colourful bright-lumo patches attached to tailored two-piece suits with the relevant accessories to match. The collection is a classic play on form, function and silhouette – flavoured with the rebellion and bravado which epitomises what Abloh and what the brand has always been. One of my highlights of the entire collection was seeing the white flags printed “Question Everything” – an integral message which Virgil continued to emphasise even during his infamous Harvard lecture. The roster of models who took to the catwalk included many of Virgil’s close friends, compatriots and collaborators, such as Naomi Campbell, Bloody Osiris, Ama Lou, Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and many more.
So in summation, what does the metaphorical handbook which Abloh left inform us as young black creatives? Towards the latter part of his career, he and Off-White had a very clear mission – to support young black creatives within the global fashion industry, by all means and by all costs. For example, his resilient humanitarianism accompanied by strong creative ties within his homeland resulted in a successful collaboration with Daily Paper in order to build a skatepark in Ghana, which was successfully unveiled in December last year.
Consistently throughout his career, qualities such as these have inspired and informed an entire generation of kids – to try and become their own Virgil’s. He continuously proved to us that anyone can crack it within the industry – as long as they have the right amount of hard work, matched with the necessary talent and enthusiasm. This is a blueprint which Abloh has been cultivating for his whole career – the blueprint for any upcoming young black creative to follow. So with LVMH’s acquisition of Off-White last year, I sincerely hope that Abloh’s legacy continues to remain supreme at the fashion house, just as it does within the hearts of many emerging creatives just like mine.
Written by: Odwa Zamane
