Off-White: What You need to Know About the Clothing Brand (2024)

Off-White: What You need to Know About the Clothing Brand (1)

Timeline

Information

1980

Virgil Abloh is born in Chicago to Ghanian immigrant parents. His mother is a seamstress who teaches him how to sew.

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2002

Abloh graduates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an undergraduate degree in civil engineering.

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2006

Abloh finishes out a Master’s degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

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2009

Abloh interns at Fendi in Rome alongside Kanye West. During this time, West and Abloh are captured at Paris Fashion Week in a now-infamous group shot outside of the Comme des Garçons show.

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2010

Abloh is named the creative director of West’s creative agency, Donda.

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2011

Abloh designs the Grammy-winning artwork for West and Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne album.

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2012

Pyrex Vision is launched in New York. The first garments are deadstock Ralph Lauren flannel shirts bought for $40 each. After being screen printed with the word “Pyrex” and the number 23 (an homage to Michael Jordan), the flannels are resold for $550 each.

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2013

Pyrex Vision returns as menswear label Off-White; described as “the gray area between black and white as the color Off-White.”

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2014

Abloh launches a womenswear line and begins showing both collections at Paris Fashion Week.

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2015

Off-White is named a finalist for the LVMH Prize but loses the special prize and grand prize to Jacquemus and Marques’Almeida, respectively.

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2016

Off-White’s first concept store launches in the Aoyama district of Tokyo. Abloh also debuts his first furniture collection called Grey Area.

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2017

Abloh wins the British Fashion Award for Urban Luxe Brand.

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2018

Abloh is named artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s menswear division, replacing his mentor Kim Jones.

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2019

Virgil Abloh’s collaboration with IKEA is set for release and Abloh’s artwork is selected for exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

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How did Virgil Abloh get into fashion?

Long before he’d create Off-White, Virgil Abloh was studying civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison followed by a Masters program in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. After a brief stint at an architecture firm, he launched the Chicago art gallery and streetwear boutique RSVP Gallery in 2009. It was at this time that he met Kanye West and became his right-hand man—working for his multi-faceted design agency, Donda. At Donda, he created the sets for many of Kanye West’s tours as and designed the cover art for West and Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne record.

In 2013, Abloh left Donda briefly to create a new streetwear project called Pyrex Vision that would set the groundwork for Off-White. For the first and only collection, Abloh used Champion sweats and tees as well as polo and flannel shirts from Ralph Lauren’s Rugby line. The reused materials were decorated with graphic prints that read ‘Pyrex 23’ as well as images of Caravaggio’s painting ‘Entombment of Christ’ and resold for up to $550.

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How did Pyrex Vision turn into Off-White?

One year after his infamous Spring/Summer 2013 collection, Pyrex Vision returns under the name Off White c/o Virgil Abloh. While no official explanation is offered, it’s rumored that the change was prompted by legal action from the famous Pyrex kitchenware brand and controversy over his reuse of other labels’ apparel. The rebranded multi-platform creative platform is based out of Milan and defined by Abloh as: “the gray area between black and white as the color Off-White.”

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Why does Off-White use so many quotation marks?

At a lecture at Columbia University in 2017, Abloh described one of his core aesthetic elements as “everything in quotations.” This principle is apparent in the physical and aesthetic elements of the brand, which make heavy use of references and often take familiar concepts and reinterpret them in new ways—a move that often prompts calls of plagiarism and unoriginality. Physically, the quotation marks are used literally around familiar words, like his collaboration with the Air Jordan 1 sneaker that featured a graphic print on the heel that read: “AIR.”

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What are the most famous Off-White collaborations?

Abloh is no stranger to collaborations but few have sparked as many conversations as the ones with IKEA and Nike. In 2017, he teamed up with Nike for a project called The Ten, which saw him recreate ten of the shoemaker’s iconic silhouettes. Last year, Abloh also unveiled products from his IKEA collab that included slogan-covered rugs, a cabinet for storing sneakers, and a reimagined wooden chair with a bright red doorstop called Door Stop Interruption. Other Off-White collaborations include Levi, Jimmy Choo, Moncler, Browns, Warby Parker, SSENSE, Sunglass Hut, Champion, Converse, Dr. Martens, Barneys New York, Umbro, Timberland, Takashi Murakami, Heron Preston, ASAP Rocky, Byredo, Boys Noize and Le Bon Marché.

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Off-White: What You need to Know About the Clothing Brand (2024)

FAQs

How would you describe Off-White brand? ›

The brand name itself has an echoing take – it is defined as the grey colour zone in between black and white. The creative is experimenting with getting a classic silhouette to a fresh direction, something that caters for the young millennial generation.

What type of brand is Off-White? ›

luxury fashion label

What is Off-White known for? ›

Off-White is widely known for its progressive and subtly ironic take on fashion. Late founder and pioneer of the fashion industry Virgil Abloh has brought the brand to fame within a matter of seasons, making it one of the most desired and cherished contemporary brands in recent years.

What are Off-White's aims and objectives? ›

Born out of the embers of Virgil Abloh's previous enterprise, Pyrex Vision, Off-White's mission objective was to translate the culture which the designer surrounded himself by onto the world stage; in high fashion, and beyond.

How does Off-White promote their products? ›

The different collaborations with top brands and stars are also one of the main successful strategies of the brand. They collaborated with Nike, Levi, Ikea, Kanye West, Kylian Mbappe and Mercedes Benz for example. This mainly help the brand to expand into new audiences and markets.

Is Off-White clothing good quality? ›

Ultimately, the reason why Off-White has higher prices than other streetwear brands is due to their use of premium-quality materials that went into the process of making each item. That and the history tied to every individual product sold in the store.

Why is Off-White a luxury brand? ›

One of the top answers to the question 'why is Off-White expensive' is its stylistic individuality in designs. This approach of expression allows consumers to reflect their personalities through their outfits. Abloh understands that the fashion people wear the choices they make.

What is Off-White clothing made of? ›

The brand's utilitarian and unisex yet chic pieces are made using eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester.

How popular is the brand Off-White? ›

Off-White is the hottest brand in the world, according to the quarterly ranking released by the fashion and e-commerce platform Lyst. It climbed 33 places in Lyst's ranking in the last year, and surpassed legacy luxury fashion houses like Gucci and Balenciaga for the first time this quarter.

Where is Off-White most popular? ›

  • France.
  • Philippines.
  • Scandinavia.
Feb 4, 2020

What is the Off-White trend? ›

Abloh defines Off-White as a gray zone between white and black. Off-White is a common ground between high fashion and streetwear. The Off-White logo is characterized by its signature zebra pattern, known explicitly as a diagonal spray. Off-White has a philosophy of placing everything in quotation marks.

What is the meaning of Off-White color? ›

off-white in American English

1. white mixed with a small amount of gray, yellow, or other light color. noun.

What is Off-White inspired by? ›

Inspired by Virgil's vision and approach to his art, Off-White™ nourishes a collective of creative minds that represent the best in their category and have a strong and personal connection with Virgil.

Is Off-White an ethical brand? ›

OFF-WHITE's environment rating is 'very poor'. It uses few eco-friendly materials. There is no evidence it minimises textile waste. There is no evidence it reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain.

Why is Off-White better than white? ›

Off-white, on the other hand, leaves a softer, gentler impression. So if you're looking for a neutral color for your walls that emits more warmth than a classic white, you're in the right place.

Where does Off-White get their clothes from? ›

The company manufactures all its products in Milan and supplies to Off-White stores and other retail brands like Barneys, Selfridges, Harrods, and Le Bon Marché. The company is located in Milan, Italy. On July 20th, 2021, LVMH acquired a majority stake in Off-White.

What social media does Off-White use? ›

Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh debuted its TikTok account Wednesday.

Who made Off-White popular? ›

—Abloh on the inspiration behind founding high-end streetwear label, Off-White. Abloh founded his first fashion house and second business overall in 2013 with the high-end streetwear brand Off-White, designing a logo inspired by Ben Kelly.

Is Off-White a luxury or a streetwear? ›

Off-White is one of the leading streetwear fashion brands of all time. The brand got worldwide recognition in such a short period of time and pioneered in the luxury streetwear market. Behind the name, it brings the concept of the union of contrasts between black and white, a palette very present in its creations.

How do Off-White clothes fit? ›

Off-White's clothing and footwear tends to fit true to size, so take your normal size. Do keep in mind that the Off-White fit is intended to be somewhat loose and baggy, in line with a classic streetwear aesthetic. If you'd prefer a tighter fit, take a smaller size.

Why is Off-White called Off-White? ›

When did Virgil Abloh create Off-White? Virgil launched his own clothing line, Off-White, in 2013. The luxury Italian fashion label was first founded in Milan as "Pyrex Vision" by Virgil before he rebranded. He said its name refers to "the grey area between black and white as the color off-white."

Why does Off-White use quotes? ›

To him, spelling out words in Helvetica fonts and placing quotation marks around them on any object that grabbed his attention (or that he was hired to design) meant a sneaker was not just a sneaker; it was instead a “SNEAKER.” Speaking of his use of quotation marks, Abloh told Fast Company in 2019, “It's a device, ...

What does white represent in a brand? ›

White is a reflective color that represents purity, sophistication and efficiency. Brands trying to convey a level of exclusivity and luxury can use white to resounding success.

How is Off-White different from white? ›

Something that is off-white is not pure white, but slightly grey or yellow.

Where does Off-White rank? ›

Off-White nabbed the #1 spot in Lyst's ranking of the hottest brands for Q1 2020 (and for the third consecutive quarter). Balenciaga came in second (up from #3 in Q4 2019), Nike in third (up from #12 last quarter), Gucci in fourth (down from #2 at the end of last year) and Prada in fifth (up from #7).

Is Off-White a brand or color? ›

What color is off white? Off white is an umbrella term for a variety of shades that differ only slightly from pure white. These include cream, eggshell, ivory and vanilla. Because of this, off white does not have its own hex code.

Who are Off-White main competitors? ›

Off-White's top 17 competitors are Corneliani, Versace, Valentino, VETEMENTS GROUP, Balenciaga, Brioni, Hugo Boss, Prada, Balmain, Gucci, Costume National, Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford, Armani, Farfetch, Tobi and Hermes. Together they have raised over 4.9B between their estimated 110.7K employees.

How many shades of Off-White are there? ›

The Benjamin Moore Off White Color Collection contains more than 150 variations of white with subtle nuances.

Who designs Off-White now? ›

The avant-garde streetwear brand Off-White has quite the art and image director. His name is Ib Kamara. Escaping from war-torn Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Kamara moved to London at age 11.

What is Off-White aesthetic? ›

Off-White is fashion, architecture, sculpture, and branding. Off-White is bold, graphic, and sleek. Off-White is couture and streetwear.

What are the future plans for Off-White? ›

Going forward, New Guards will continue to oversee design, production, marketing, and sales for Off-White through at least 2026. But as part of his deal with LVMH, Abloh ceded a majority stake — 60 percent — of the Off-White brand, including the right to its name.

Is Off-White a cool color? ›

Neutral off-whites are the most versatile because they have neither cool nor warm undertones. They're often used as trim colors because their neutral tones don't influence the appearance of nearby colors.

Is the Off-White logo trademarked? ›

OFF-WHITE C/O VIRGIL ABLOH Trademark of Off-White LLC - Registration Number 5710328 - Serial Number 87328942 :: Justia Trademarks.

What is the most ethical fast fashion brand? ›

our top picks for affordable sustainable and ethical Clothing Fashion Brands:
  1. Pact. For: Men, Women & Children. Categories: All Clothing (Basics) ...
  2. TAMGA. For: Women. ...
  3. Wearwell. For: Women. ...
  4. Made Trade. For: Men & Women. ...
  5. Hanna Andersson. For: Babies & Kids. ...
  6. Tentree. For: Men, Women & Kids. ...
  7. Girlfriend. For: Women & Unisex. ...
  8. ABLE. For: Women.
Dec 20, 2022

Can you wear Off-White in winter? ›

For especially cold days, opt for cozy but chic coordinate sets in shades of eggshell or off-white. Keep the rest of the look minimal, letting the unexpected winter hue speak for itself.

What is the code for Off-White? ›

The hex code for off white is #FAF9F6.

What colour goes well with Off-White? ›

black, bright yellow, brown, canary yellow, chocolate, color choice for the living room, colour combination for living room, contrasting combination of colors, dark gray, dark yellow, gray-brown color combination, living room colour schemes, off-white, saffron yellow, stone color, the coffee color, warm shades.

What is a word for Off-White? ›

synonyms for off-white

frosted. iridescent. milky. fair. ivory.

Why is it called Off-White? ›

When did Virgil Abloh create Off-White? Virgil launched his own clothing line, Off-White, in 2013. The luxury Italian fashion label was first founded in Milan as "Pyrex Vision" by Virgil before he rebranded. He said its name refers to "the grey area between black and white as the color off-white."

What color goes well with Off-White? ›

Off whites are neutral and go well with most colors. Cream works particularly well with pastels, while ivory can make a great companion to navy blue or maroon. Off whites paired with blues can create a nautical palette.

What is the Off-White logo? ›

What does the Off-White logo mean? The Off-White emblem, introduced by the brand's creative director and head designer Virgil Abloh in 2019,was composed of the inscriptions “Off” and “White,” separated by the silhouette of a drowning man's face with his hands under each word.

Where are Off-White clothes made? ›

Off-White is an Italian luxury fashion label. Off-white offers apparel, shoes, and other accessories for men and women. The company manufactures all its products in Milan and supplies to Off-White stores and other retail brands like Barneys, Selfridges, Harrods, and Le Bon Marché.

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