“ARTICLE”
Bold capitalized letters enclosed in quotation marks, diagonal lines, and arrows—these are some features of Off-White’s quintessential design aesthetic.
Established in 2013 by Virgil Abloh, the brand defines the gray area between black and white as the color Off-White. In the same metaphorical sense as this guiding principle, the Milan-based fashion house seamlessly blends high fashion and streetwear, demonstrating that the fusion of the two is possible. It was founded as a multi-platform creative endeavor and a space for Abloh’s continuous experimentation.
Off-White, “The House that Virgil Built” as Creative Director Ib Kamara calls it, produces seasonal men’s and women’s clothing collections, objects, furniture, and publications that articulate a current cultural vision. Abloh’s visionary pursuit involved the artistic expression of high fashion, which led him to delve into concepts within the domain of contemporary youth culture. Like Abloh once said, “Use art to invent, just like you can invent a new way of distributing load in a tall building.”
The brand’s most distinctive design element is that, quite literally, everything is in quotes. You’ll see scarves with “SCARF” written on them, socks with “SOCKS” written on them, and shoes with “FOR WALKING” written on them. What Off-White’s signature quotation marks are to the younger generation is arguably what Louis Vuitton’s monograms are to another generation.
Off-White cemented its coveted status by collaborating with other luxury brands—from the likes of Heron Preston, Moncler, and Kith to Rimowa—and with big names like Jay-Z, A$AP Rocky, and Takashi Murakami. Yet, the brand didn’t stop there. Through a collaboration with IKEA, Off-White released highly sought-after Frakta shopping bags as well as the iconic “KEEP OFF” rug.
Although, the brand’s biggest collaboration would have to be with Nike. Off-White and Nike go way back. As in, Nike collaborated with Off-White to deconstruct and reimagine ten of its most classic designs including Air Jordans, Air Prestos, and Air Force 1s. Every shoe and every colorway of the Nike x Off-White collaboration is on every sneaker collector’s bucket list. Mind you, that’s a long list considering the Dunk Lows alone have 50 colorways, and it’s almost impossible to get all 50.
Last February 18, 2024, Virgil Abloh’s legacy was celebrated yet again as Off-White finally opened its first branch in Cebu at NUSTAR Resort and Casino. This is its third branch in the country, following the ones in Greenbelt and Rockwell.
During Off-White NUSTAR’s grand opening, the brand unveiled one of its most iconic sneakers, the Air Force 1 Low in Black and Volt. First released in 2018, the Black colorway features a black upper with a silver deconstructed Nike Swoosh, while the Volt colorway features a yellow-green upper with a black deconstructed Nike Swoosh. These limited edition designs have “SHOELACES” printed on the ends of the laces, and “AIR” printed on the midsoles.
Off-White is now open at Level 1 of The Mall at NUSTAR Resort and Casino. Check out the brand’s Spring/Summer 2024 “HOMECOMING” collection in-store or on their website at https://off—white.com/.
