Off-White reveals Spring/ Summer 2021 via digital Imaginary TV

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Feb 2, 2021

Virgil Abloh does enjoy breaking the rules. His latest video presentation, in this case the Off-White Spring/ Summer 2021 collection, which debuted online Tuesday lunchtime in Europe, is a case in point.

 
The American designer unveiled his new collection as part of a multi-media and multi-disciplinary display, via an imaginary TV network, called Imaginary TV.
 
Teasing the concept the day before with scratchy techy punk videos; musical mash-ups; manga graphics and shots of a dude plastering posters of the event all over construction sites.

Eliciting all manner of commentary on Instagram: “help me please,” to “I’m instantly accepting” to “I’m paying off debts of first 5 people to hit me up.”
 
Imaginary TV already has a collectible white T-shirt, a sure-fire hit on fashion resale sites, so expect Off-White fans to be checking out Vestiaire Collective already.

 
The collection itself was less avant-gardist, but nonetheless memorable. Virgil’s big idea for the coming summer was pleats: as he dreamed up lots of mega plissé dresses, cocktails  and skirts – some cut with halter neck; others cut in half verticals; others worn over pants. In all manner of colors – from sinful red to flesh to pale gray. Many of his cast wearing a bandana-scarf in leather; some featuring giant funnel necks, best seen in a great leather blazer. Other ladies appeared in battleship gray or tobacco redingotes with cut outs at the crook of the arm. Along with a divinely well draped beige jersey dress with side holes, of which Halston would have been proud.
 
For the Off-White guys – samurai plissé skirts and baseball jackets in matching mat gray; red blazers with oversize patch pockets; or jeans with cut-out thigh holes. For art gallery openings - Buddhist monk skirts, vertically zippered.

 
The designer marking the distance he has travelled sartorially since his early days as a young DJ making neophyte steps into fashion.
 
All told, the faint air of very posh bandits, all the way to Abloh’s signature four-arrow logo, used in a highwayman’s face mask.  The rain beating down; crows cawing angrily intermingled with ruffled bird song. Shot in a studio that had either Rodchenko-worthy wooden floors;  small fields of wild vegetation; or a big yellow graffitied truck.
 
Before the whole thing ended in a storm on the soundtrack. Après Virgil, la deluge.