“We’ve got quite obsessed with delivery, which for me is a very human thing,” said Ib Kamara introducing his first pre-collection as art and image director of Off-White.
Sprouted from a social observation on how much people depend on this service — from food deliveries to Amazon — and yet how it still offers a moment of human interaction despite distances, the concept was taken a step further to mark the “Lunar Shipping” theme of the collection.
Think of an on-the-go wardrobe — conceived with ease and practicality in mind — but designed on a more elevated trajectory, since the sleek lineup pointed to an evolution of the brand toward a more refined aesthetic and spoke of Kamara’s mission to aim higher to honor the brainchild of the late Virgil Abloh.
“It’s a little bit of both. We’re not going to lose [the fact that] we are Off-White, cool and young-thinking,” he ensured before revealing a particular penchant for tailoring.
Baggy and oversize proportions were switched into closer-to-body silhouettes and new, graphic shapes. Rounded shoulders in suits contrasted with the sharp pleats of asymmetric skirts or removable back panels in pants, which introducing a sense of movement in the looks.
Meanwhile, the utilitarian inspiration was emphasized by buckles and removable harnesses giving edge to tailoring, as well as zippers trimming trenchcoats and vests as embellishment.
A recurrent circular motif further heightened the collection’s graphics. It winked both to the meteor holes that have become an Off-White signature and, more symbolically, Kamara’s own vow to keep alive the sense of community that Abloh embedded in his brand.
Hence, rounded pockets popped up on bomber jackets, circular quilting marked functional outerwear, while prints of a full moon appeared in different sizes on jerseys or made for subtle tweaks to the Off-White lettering. Even the Arrow logo that has become a byword for insider cool underwent a softening in its sharpest angles.
Still, the fierce spirit of the Off-White woman was intact. It was expressed in sartorial looks as much as in body-con knit frocks; fitted denim options; leather separates with a lived-in effect, and a seductive velvet gown rendered in the vibrant blue shade that Kamara aims to make synonymous with Off-White.
As for customers wondering what to have shipped first, they can rarely go wrong with the brand’s varsity jackets — now turned into minidresses, too.
