2013 – Virgil Abloh founds Off-White in partnership with New Guards Group
Before Off-White there was Pyrex Vision, Abloh’s streetwear brand named after the memorable lyrics of rappers like Juelz Santana and Pusha T that allude to cooking crack with Pyrex cookware. It’s rumored that Pyrex sent over a cease and desist letter, which forced Abloh to rename his brand. Thus, Off-White was born. Abloh described it as “the gray area between black and white.” The venture was created through a business partnership with New Guards Group, a Milan-based manufacturer and distributor that also produced brands like Hood By Air and Marcelo Burlon. New Guards would take a percentage of Off-White’s profits, but Abloh retained the brand’s trademark.
Despite its clear streetwear influence, Off-White was positioned as a contemporary luxury brand. It developed a signature look through design details like zip ties, diagonal stripes, arrows, and quotation marks. These elements, and Abloh’s rising fame, instantly made Off-White one of the most in-demand brands in the world.
October 2015- Off-White hosts its first runway show
Fabien Montique/Off-White
Off-White hosted its first runway show in Paris on Abloh’s 35th birthday. Titled “Off-Day,” the show showcased updated takes on a classic ensemble, the white shirt and jeans. It was highlighted by denim pieces like ankle boots, patchwork jeans, and ruffled dresses. At this point, much of the clothing was devoid of any of the brand’s signature elements that we’ve come to recognize now, but Abloh would still become a mainstay on the Paris Fashion Week schedule for years to come.
February 2016 – Off-White hosts its first men’s runway show
Richard Bord/Getty Images
Off-White’s first men’s presentation perfectly blended streetwear and formalwear. Highlights included Raf Simons-inspired “Nebraska” knits, herringbone boiler suits, and long canvas coats with fabric panels pinned to them. No detail was overlooked. Clear buttons read “BUTTON” and zipper pulls read “RING.” One of Off-White’s most popular items—the bright yellow Industrial belt—was also incorporated in various looks. This collected started to carve out Off-White’s identity in the saturated luxury market.
August 2017 – Off-White x Nike collaboration begins with ‘The Ten’
Arguably the most important Off-White project of all time was its “The Ten” range with Nike that debuted in 2017 via the “Off Campus” summit at Wall Street. The 10-sneaker collection saw Abloh interpret many of Nike’s most iconic silhouettes: the Air Jordan 1, Air Force 1, Air Presto, Air Max 90, Air Max 97, Blazer, Zoom Fly SP, Hyperdunk, VaporMax, and Converse Chuck Taylor. Each silhouette was peppered with its fair share of now-signature details like the quotation marks, zip ties, and exposed foam padding. According to Nike’s official press release, the full range only took 10 months to complete from ideation, one of the fastest projects Nike ever completed.
The Off-White x Nike partnership would go on to release dozens of sneakers, from Dunk Lows by the 50-pack to Air Force 1 Mids with spiky rubber soles in various color schemes. Although the hype has significantly cooled down on more recent launches, “The Ten” still remains a benchmark for sneaker collaborations to this day.
August 2019 – Farfetch acquires New Guards Group
Off-White’s business partner New Guards Group was acquired by luxury e-commerce company Farfetch for $675 million in August 2019. The move meant that Farfetch would operate Off-White under license moving forward.
July 2021 – LVMH acquires a majority stake in Off-White
LVMH acquired a 60% stake in Off-White LLC., which owned the Off-White trademark. Abloh retained 40% of his company and his creative director role. The New Guards Group remained Off-White’s operating partner. The exact financials of the deal were not disclosed. Through the new venture with LVMH, Off-White was meant to expand its portfolio beyond clothing and enter new markets that LVMH had a stronghold in such as cosmetics and spirits. At the time, Abloh had been artistic director of another LVMH-owned entity, Louis Vuitton Men’s, since 2018. The ambitious vision of the Off-White and LVMH partnership was never fully realized, as Abloh would pass away just five months later following a private battle with a rare form of cancer.
November 2021 – Virgil Abloh passes away
Prior to his sudden death over Thanksgiving week in 2021, Virgil Abloh had been battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma, for two years. “We are all shocked after this terrible news,” LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault said in a statement. “Virgil was not only a genius designer… he was also a man with a beautiful soul and wisdom.” Countless celebrities and fashion industry insiders paid their respects to Abloh on social media. Five months later in May of 2022, his widowed wife Shannon Abloh took control of Virgil Abloh Securities to continue his legacy.
April 2022 – Ib Kamara is appointed as Art and Image Director of Off-White
Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Following Abloh’s untimely death, Off-White took six months to decide who would fill Off-White’s vacant creative director position. That role ended up going to Dazed editor-in-chief and celebrity stylist Ib Kamara, who had previously worked with Abloh as a stylist and image consultant.
“In the wake of Virgil’s tragic passing we have been working tirelessly to keep his legacy alive and the brand relevant as a point of reference and platform in constant evolution,” Off-White’s chief executive Andrea Grilli told Business of Fashion following the news of Kamara’s appointment. “Having Ibrahim on board, who has been part of the Off-White family for years styling our shows, to oversee art and creative of the brand in this next chapter is a great honor.”
To date, Kamara has designed seven collections with the brand. His work has been met with lukewarm reception.
September 2024 – Off-White debuts at New York Fashion Week
More than a decade after its inception, Off-White presented its first show at New York Fashion Week for the Spring/Summer 2025 season. The “Duty Free” show took place on basketball courts at the Brooklyn Bridge Park pier. Deep v-necks, large exposed pockets that flapped off of pants, and an orange/brown/tan camouflage pattern were some of the major design elements utilized throughout the 41-look presentation. Brand recognition brought out big names like Lil Durk and Camila Cabello to sit front row. Rapper NLE Choppa walked in the show wearing a sheer hooded top covered in red sequins. But ultimately, the show and collection lacked a lot of the unique identity and storytelling elements that Abloh had cultivated at Off-White.
September 2024 – LVMH sells Off-White to Bluestar Alliance LLC
In July of this year, LVMH reported a 14% drop in net profits over the first half of 2024. The fall in revenue comes amid China’s conservative spending on luxury since its double-digit spike in 2023 post Covid lockdowns. China also happens to be one of Off-White’s strongest markets since the brand’s founding. It should come as no surprise, then, that LVMH decided to hand the brand off to another corporation. However, the announcement of the sale—the terms of which were undisclosed just like the Farfetch acquisition—was criticized for being ill-timed. Fans online were not shy of expressing their disappointment at LVMH’s decision not only to sell Off-White, but to announce it on Abloh’s birthday.
As of the time of publishing, Ib Kamara still holds his role as Off-White’s creative director post the Bluestar Alliance sale.
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