If there was ever any question of the sphere of influence of the late Virgil Abloh, the latest Off-White show surely settled it.
Paris Fashion Week opened Monday night with the fall ’22 runway show for the designer’s last collection for the label the he founded and used to disrupt the entire fashion ecosystem in just under a decade. Once again, he had plenty to say, even posthumously.
Among the design codes brought back for the collection, Abloh’s quoted text on garments and accessories made a return, particularly in the “Little Black Dress” black sequined mini dress that model Kendall Jenner wore with matching black sequined heels with oversized bows the designer has previously put forth — and punctuated with the horned hats that the designer himself was keen on wearing, as he did at the 2021 Met Gala, just before his death.
The designer (who until his death was working on his own Off-White line while also balancing duties as artistic director of menswear for Louis Vuitton) also debuted a series of couture-level looks that expanded on themes he had previously explored, chief among them the ballgown for a new generation. Along with crisp, angular layers of tulle (done in Abloh’s signature light blue – a symbol of optimism for the designer), models walked the runway in sneakers, t-shirts (this time a few with Grateful Dead bears dancing across them). Model Kaia Gerber walked in a blue silk moiré mini dress with a bubble layer atop a mini skirt, paired with a yellow retro tee that read “Pop” in red letters.
Within the high fashion collection, there was also Bella Hadid in a taffeta bridal-like gown, worn with a pair of sneakers and another pair, high heels, with pedestal-like heels, hanging off her fingers.
Outside of the high fashion capsule, the regular fall ’22 collection had skiwear pieces inspired by skate culture and done in performance materials, plus shoe collaborations with Church’s and Nike. The brand is also set to launch its beauty line, Off-White Paperwork, in spring according to WWD.
The show was star studded both on and off the runway, and it was this collection of true tastemakers and influencers within the fashion sphere that showed just how big of an impact Abloh had on the industry. Models such as Bella and Gigi Hadid, Naomi Campbell, Serena Williams, Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber, Kendall Jenner, Helena Christensen, Amber Valletta, Joan Smalls and more walked the runway, while the front row was packed with the likes of Rihanna, ASAP Rocky, Tracee Ellis Ross, Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba and Luka Sabbat.
