A series of paths led models through a garden of white carnations. The SS20 Off-White show has started. And on they came: padded jackets and graffiti-strewn white denim; this same graffiti then came expertly embroidered on a throw and worn as a cape. Make a note, too, about the new mini-bags: one attached to the other, and worn like a rucksack. Surely, next season’s must-snatch bag. The sneakers: the lacing system more hiking-inspired and paint-smeared “used” denim. Clever mountaineering-ready tech details like pull-cords, traced the sleeve of a shirt. And all over Instagram only minutes after the show had finished. But it’s not about hype.
The hard work of Virgil Abloh and his studio, which, smashes together youth culture references, is changing menswear. His high-energy shopping is exciting and a hugely important renewal for fashion stores – all of which, are locked into the current menswear retail upsurge. And it’s Abloh, who is partly responsible for this spike. Off White sells! By the bucketload. Ask the audience: a mix of influential buyers and press but also his friends. Artists and designers; music talent and best-dressed creatives, all nodded their heads in agreement: this was one of his best collections to date.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
