During a phone interview over the weekend, Abloh discussed his evolving vision for Off-White, youth culture, his collaboration with Ferreira, and more.Virgil Abloh spends a lot of time in the air. One day he's busy globe-trotting for his full-time gig as Kanye West's creative director, and the next he's jetting off to Miami to represent Been Trill with a DJ set at Ultra Music Festival. In recent months, the 33-year-old Chicago native has been squeezing in trips to Milan, where he operates the atelier for his ready-to-wear label, Off-White, which premiered its Spring '14 men's range back in December.

Building his new brand is Abloh's most personal project to date. His solo career as a designer began with his short-lived Pyrex Vision capsule of graphic tees and hoodies that quickly gained a fervent cult underground following. But he's elevating the streetwear conversation altogether with Off-White, which is being championed by upscale retailers including Colette, Barneys, and Selfridges. The clothes themselves are marked by their worn-in, shabby chic-meets-street appeal, and often tagged with Off-White's signature diagonal stripes that speak to Abloh's passion for art and architecture.

Abloh recently conceived one of the sets for pal Sky Ferreira, who is the opening act on Miley Cyrus' Bangerz tour. His stage scheme involves a grid of intersecting lasers, and Ferreira wears a custom Off-White biker jacket cut from neoprene and embellished with 30,000 black Swarovski crystals. The jacket is also in Ferreira's new, shoppable music video for "I Blame Myself."

That one-off Perfecto paved the way for Off-White's first foray into womenswear for Fall '14. Its corresponding lookbook, which was shot at the Barcelona Pavilion in Spain (designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who is a perennial source of inspiration for Abloh), debuts here on cbamd.com. The feminine side of Off-White is less street, more refined, and definitely influenced by the bohemian moodiness of Hedi Slimane with its wide-brimmed hats, fringed wool coats, velvet maxi skirts, and pumps offered, in addition to the now-trademark faded denim and branded biker jackets. During a phone interview over the weekend, Abloh discussed his evolving vision for Off-White, youth culture, his collaboration with Ferreira, and more.
POST: 2024-04-17