OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH™'s Spring/Summer 2019 men's collection was shown on June 20th during Paris Men's Fashion Week.

The venue, the Chaillot National Theatre in the Palais de Chaillot, was covered in artificial turf and had small, worn-out wooden chairs reminiscent of those found in elementary schools. The story is of thugs and skaters, and the rich and elite meeting in a New York park on a midsummer night. It was previously announced on Instagram that the collection is dedicated to graffiti artist DONDI WHITE, who passed away in 1998, and sales will be donated to GDPR, a New York-based non-profit organization. The collection, which featured fewer than 30 looks, included The Simpsons, Dr. Martens with zip-up tags, a transparent Rimowa backpack, and a collaboration with Nike. His approach to transforming products into artworks represents a completely different approach to fashion than previous designers. The clothes themselves, with denim treated in various ways—bleached, distressed, glittery, etc.—and vests with 3D pockets, evoke the Italian and French super-casual boom that emerged in the mid-1980s. Functional designs borrowed from streetwear traditions, such as deformed jean jackets, fluorescent yellow patches, and denim pants with side zippers for a "thug" look, were intriguing. While incorporating hip-hop and skater culture in the details, the show continued to use logos, creating a brief glimpse into an era in which spreading influences is what defines fashion.


Text: Tatsuya Noda