Juxtaposing the Writings on the Wall

On his first day at Columbia University, Virgil Abloh listened to his head of school explain how only 10% of their current cohort would go on the become architects. His thoughts?

Jokes on you - I don’t want to be one.

What followed was of course, anything but a joke. Abloh went on to finish his degree in architecture, start his own fashion label ‘Off White’ and become the style advisor to perhaps the most self-entitled man in existence – Kanye West. Enough said, I think.

Creating the runway space for a fashion show is far more challenging than meets the eye, but it does help if it’s your own label. Interpreting a concept as subjective as fashion and making it almost objective through manipulating the space in which it is debuted, now that takes some real talent. Which is evident when you consider Off White’s Spring 2018 Men’s collection. Here Abloh does what he does best: juxtapose.

Image via Pitti Imagine [1]

He juxtaposes colour, scale and content in his latest venture, and the effect takes your breath away. A vast cyclorama makes out the background of this runway, on which verse about war and migration is projected vertically. Upon further inspection, one sees that the text is a collage of buildings materials and this adds to the context thereof, as migration and war make up part of Abloh's past and it's this personal connection and vulnerability that makes the show so raw in it's visual style. This is such a contrast from the stunning live performance by the Florence Opera that accompanied the show that the audience is left questioning their own emotional state. This moment of inquisition ties in so eloquently with Abloh’s fashion design, a combination of sharp tailoring and street-wear, that subjectivity no longer seems necessary.

Image via WWD [2]

What makes the projected poetry even more powerful is seeing just how small the models are in comparison. They make their own stand however, as the monochromatic wear is made prominent by bursts of yellow and orange detailing. Playing with scale is a key element in scenic design and often it is the first tool used to alter the audience's perception of what is real. Furthermore, the lighting design draws attention to the models, but just enough so as not to take away from the cinematic displays behind. The darkness that seem to envelope the audience, creates the illusion that the space has no boundaries and there is a sense of timelessness to it.

Abloh set the runway in motion with this:

“I believe in fashion that becomes art.”

- Virgil Abloh

And this is very evident throughout the show. As the music intensifies, the written content on the cyclorama mimics it and suddenly Abloh has managed to not only create fashion that becomes art, but also the exhibition space in which to display it.

For those who are familiar with Abloh’s style, this wouldn’t come as much of a surprise. His ability to create a sharp urban environment by using the sensitivity created through classical music and colouring will always be the contemporary touch that defines his style, one almost questions whether it’s a street-wear label. And why?

Juxtaposition.

Yo, I’d say that's pretty phresh, it’s pretty dope.

[1] "OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH™ @ Pitti Immagine Uomo 92." OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH™ - Pitti Immagine. Accessed August 26, 2017. http://www.pittimmagine.com/corporate/fairs/uomo/events/2017/offwhite.html.

[2] http://wwd.com/runway/mens-spring-collections-2018/florence/off-white/review/