The theme of this collection was simply expressed as "temperature." Perhaps this reflects Virgil's view of fashion, that "hot" and "cool" can be interpreted in any way depending on the environment.

The Spring/Summer 2018 collection began with this video playing in the background, and it must have been difficult even for the VIPs in the front row to see the materials and details. From the upper seats, arranged like a stadium, the models looked like little more than tiny peas.



There are no Off-White signature diagonal stripe graphics or logos. The overall balance is big and lean, created by the use of light, thin and hard materials. Deconstructed jackets with cut-out backs and fronts, among other pieces, evoke the cutting-edge New York downtown fashion of Shawn Oliver's Hood by Air (currently on hiatus), a brand that was invited as a guest and presented a show at Pitti Uomo in January 2018, while also referencing the Italian Renaissance. While men's pieces, such as flared mini-shorts, are more feminine, the collection's Italian handcrafted craftsmanship, crafted from high-tech materials and double-faced organza, is what gives the collection its nickname of street luxury. The fluorescent orange used on sneakers and other pieces seems to be the season's signature color. The orange T-shirts distributed as invitations to the show featured a quote by Omid Shams, "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE THE OCEAN," printed on the back, a warning against the ongoing drowning deaths of refugees from Syria and other parts of Africa. By sharing this message with young fans around the world who followed the show on Instagram and other social media, Virgil, the son of refugees from Ghana, took action through a fashion event.

Given his background as an architect who studied structural calculations at university, it would be pointless to compare his clothing designs to architectural design. As the brand name suggests, Off-White is an ambiguous brand, and he is embodying the role of a designer in today's world: steadily building it into a major business.

"The young people who support me are the creators. I simply bring new products to the market, and they wear them in new ways, and the waves spread. It's only natural that copy designs will be circulated. Of course, past archives are important, but to them, it's not a big deal. Information is abundant, and anything is readily available. They live in an age where it's easy to create the same thing, or even better," Virgil said.


At this press conference, he spoke in easy-to-understand terms to reporters from around the world, speaking things that everyone already knows. This attitude overlaps with the eloquence and duality of Rem Koolhaas, whom he studied at university.