Off-White is a luxury brand that sets itself apart through positioning and accessibility. It has both men’s and women’s clothing. The most famous brand items that everyone can buy are t-shirts and sweatshirts. At the same time, the brand produces classic evening dresses designed for walks on the red carpet. Combining haute couture with streetwear and targeting a younger audience, the designer develops Off-White through social media and numerous celebrity collaborations.
Meaning and History
Virgil Abloh was born in 1980 in the USA. His mother worked as a seamstress, while his father was a manager at a paint factory. In 2009, Virgil became an intern at the fashion house Fendi, where he became friends with rapper Kanye West. Later, he invited Abloh to work as creative director at his company Donda. The first clothing brand in Virgil Abloh’s career was not Off-White, but Pyrex Vision. In 2013, Virgil Abloh presented the Off White brand. A year later, the debut women’s collection was presented at Paris Fashion Week, where the brand became a finalist for the LVMH Prize. The brand has developed over the years into one of the leading brands in the luxury industry. According to the designer himself, the name hides the essence of the brand: “This is a gray color zone between black and white.” As part of it, Abloh experiments with giving the classic silhouette an updated look that will appeal to the younger generation of the new millennium. It should be noted that on November 28, 2021, Virgil Abloh died from an angiosarcoma of the heart, which he had been battling for several years.
What is Off-White?
Off-White is a Milan fashion brand, although it is only natural that it is best known to celebrities in the United States. Its clothes are a combination of haute couture and street fashion. It is easily recognizable and great for creating original images. Off-White products are worn by many singers, popular bloggers, and celebrities. They are promoted not through fashion magazines, but on Instagram and through collaborations.
2012 – Today
The brand chose to have its name with “TM” printed in the upper right corner as the official emblem. It is printed using clean, thick lines and featured straight cuts. The style of the inscription corresponds to the overall brand style that is known for its geometric prints, arrows, quote marks, and all-cap inscriptions. The Off-White brand is also identified with diagonal, black-and-white lines, which are directly related to pedestrian crossings and streets and refer to street fashion.
Font and Color
The font used to print the name of the brand closely resembles the Swiss 721 Standard Bold font. It is a bold, sans-serif font A black-and-white color palette has been used for the visual identity. Considering that the name hints at the gray zone between black and white, using both colors to represent the brand was more than appropriate. The black color of the inscription is a perfect choice that can be associated both with the formal, luxury direction of the brand and the daring street style that it also strives to incorporate into its products.
