Virgil Abloh is Saving Luxury With T-Shirts | In the Studio

Summary

This video captures the journey of a determined architecture student turned designer who defies limitations and expectations. His brand, Off-White, blends streetwear with luxury fashion, pushing boundaries with its unconventional approach. From humble beginnings as a skateboarder and music lover, he revolutionizes the fashion world by merging casual streetwear items like T-shirts and hoodies with high-end Italian craftsmanship. Emphasizing innovation and rejecting traditional success metrics, he creates a new luxury aesthetic, reflecting a unique generational shift, with influences ranging from Princess Diana to modern street style.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker thrived off rejection and saw each 'no' as a stepping stone toward growth.
• 😀 Off-White represents both a personal resume and a mood board for creating a modern luxury brand.
• 😀 The speaker’s teenage years, influenced by skateboarding and music (like Nirvana, Wu-Tang), laid the foundation for their future work.
• 😀 Initially, the speaker was drawn to T-shirts and streetwear, seeing them as important cultural pieces.
• 😀 The creation of Off-White merged streetwear with luxury, producing high-end clothing in the same factories as luxury houses in Italy.
• 😀 The speaker travels extensively, with around 320 days a year spent traveling to cities worldwide, including Milan, London, and LA.
• 😀 Off-White's success is attributed to its innovative use of social media, positioning itself as a hybrid between traditional and modern luxury.
• 😀 The brand targets a new generation that has yet to be fully introduced to luxury fashion, aiming to offer a personalized experience.
• 😀 The speaker envisions Off-White’s style blending high fashion with streetwear, even incorporating items like T-shirts into luxury fashion collections.
• 😀 For the current collection, Princess Diana is used as a muse, specifically her youthful style, merging nostalgia with contemporary fashion.
• 😀 The speaker expresses no sense of fulfillment from their success, focusing solely on the pursuit of new ideas and creative challenges.
• 😀 The speaker predicts a return of bell-bottoms in fashion, as the cycle of trends moves from skinny jeans to more varied styles.

Q & A

What motivated the speaker to start Off-White?

The speaker's motivation to start Off-White came from the idea of combining streetwear, particularly T-shirts and hoodies, with the craftsmanship of luxury fashion. They aimed to create a brand that reflects both their teenage experiences and their vision for modern luxury.

How does the speaker describe their teenage years and their influence on their work?

The speaker describes their teenage years as foundational to their work, where they were an average suburban kid involved in skateboarding and listening to music like Nirvana, Beastie Boys, and Wu-Tang Clan. This cultural background influenced the aesthetic and direction of their fashion brand.

What makes Off-White's approach to streetwear different from traditional brands?

Off-White's approach to streetwear differs from traditional brands by integrating streetwear items like T-shirts and hoodies with luxury manufacturing processes. These garments are produced in the same factories as high-end fashion houses, blurring the lines between luxury and casual wear.

What does the speaker mean by Off-White being built from social media?

The speaker suggests that Off-White has been able to use social media as a platform for brand development, allowing them to directly communicate with and sell to consumers, bypassing traditional luxury marketing systems. This approach aligns with the hybrid nature of Off-White's brand, combining traditional luxury with modern digital practices.

How does the speaker perceive the millennial generation in relation to luxury fashion?

The speaker sees the millennial generation as eager to covet luxury items but with a desire for a designer who speaks directly to them. They aim to create a luxury experience that resonates with this generation, offering modern interpretations of fashion that feel relevant and personal.

Why did the speaker choose Princess Diana as a muse for their current collection?

Princess Diana was chosen as a muse for the current collection because the speaker resonates with the idea of 'young Diana.' This inspiration allows for a modern take on traditional styles, blending iconic elegance with a contemporary twist, such as the fusion of haute couture with streetwear.

What is the speaker's stance on achievement or fulfillment in their career?

The speaker expresses that they do not feel any sense of achievement or fulfillment in a conventional sense. Instead, they are solely focused on continually creating new ideas and pushing the boundaries of their craft, with no fixed feedback loop or end goal in mind.

What is the speaker's perspective on trends, specifically bell bottoms?

The speaker predicts that bell bottoms will make a comeback, as people already own a lot of skinny jeans and boyfriend jeans. This reflects their interest in reviving past trends, like bell bottoms, to offer something fresh and different in fashion.

How does the speaker approach the intersection of haute couture and streetwear?

The speaker wants to combine haute couture with streetwear in a way that has never been done before, creating high-end garments that reflect a youthful, urban sensibility. This fusion of luxury and street culture is central to their brand's identity and vision.

What role does travel play in the speaker's work and lifestyle?

Travel is a significant part of the speaker's life, with them spending around 320 days a year on the road, visiting cities like Chicago, Milan, and Los Angeles. This extensive travel allows them to stay connected to global fashion hubs, collaborate with international teams, and stay inspired by different cultures and environments.