off-white’s future is now in the grey area between black and white.

Believe it or not, it has been 14 years since the brand’s inception by the dearly departed, Virgil Abloh. The untimely passing of Virgil back in November 2021 left a big hole in the brand’s identity (and the fashion + adjacent spheres) and capabilities. The brand by itself- as an ethos, was built on Virgil’s takes on the world - and truth be told, not a single person on earth could replace him, since no one has been through the journey that he’d been, across studies and everything in between. The first sign was on the wall.

When LVMH sold their share to Bluestar Alliance in September 2024, the fashion world knew exactly what’s next for the brand. Not even Virgil’s very own protégé from his camp - Ib Kamara, could’ve save it- And if he can’t make it, who else? That’s exactly the question that probably about 99.5829% of the fashion world has been thinking about since then. At the beginning at least, with the collab and shows, it seemed that somehow it was getting somewhere. But a look into the state of Off-White right now is painting a completely different painting - maybe one that’s longing for a time that passed and will never come back? So maybe it’s best for us to leave it there instead of trying to revive it again and again. It was Virgil who said that something has to have a reason to exist, no?

Virgil used the quotes as a design language that helped tell stories and narratives. It was used perfectly at the time // it shared meanings and challenged a lot of preconceived notions, but most importantly- It was an artistic choice. A pure one. Not an exhausted one. Fast forward to today, we see collabs that practically have nothing to do with that ethos, serving more as an excuse to milk out a design ethos that has far lost the true meaning of it - yes, even to a point of writing full sentences inside the quotes. Now you tell us if it really means what it used to mean? Hopefully you can prove us that we are wrong.

Ib Kamara, talented as he is, was tasked with the toughest task possible: to continue the lineage of Virgil Abloh. A task that, if we are being honest, was impossible since the beginning. Unlike Louis Vuitton for example, where the identity is set by multiple designers that came before Virgil, across the board. but that’s not the case when it comes to Off-White. Ib Kamara tried - at times successfully so - to convey a message through the designs. But sometimes, it’s not up to him, especially after such sale. There’s a limit to hoe much a designer can do right? sadly, now, it’s time to retire the quotes and move on, because Ib Kamara deserves a better place to design at, and not to be bound by the figurative “block” that he was placed at. IB KAMARA WAS AS SUCCESSFUL AS SOMEONE CAN BE WHEN REPLACING VIRGIL ABLOH.

Part of Off-White’s success was the fact that Virgil was the face. He spoke to people // He was all over the world AND most importantly ——— He presented the Work in Process through human connection. The current Off-White image has nothing to do with this, and fans felt (and still are) as far as they can be from the brand that they used to love so much - because back then, under Virgil, they felt like they were part of that story. A story that was cut short. Let alone now, the brand operates behind the scenes and gives a sneak peek once in a blue moon. All those attributes added nails to the coffin, day after day, season after season. And with the recent news that Ib Kamara is departing Off-White, it’s time for us to move on as well.