The Off-White show invitation—a mockup of a runner’s competition number—came wrapped inside a clear plastic envelope, and adored with ‘Track & Field’ printed in large, white letters. The small garage in the 11th arrondissement, temporarily converted into a small three-lane racetrack, was made complete with LED display panels in the middle to denote the name and country of each of the models exiting onto the tracks. Paired with the invite, the runway speaks volumes about what is at stake and where the beef lays in this Off-White women’s spring show.
Off –White now seemed much less preoccupied with the fashion collection but rather a kind of consortium of products merged together under one giant emporium, billed as a hyped street-luxury-designer fashion brand. For the opening looks of the show models wore beautifully designed all white combinations of sporty separates, alongside a ruffled dress and biker jacket, loose blouse and pocket micro-skirt, and a white sheer blouse with train and flare pants, all of which bore the hallmark essence of Off-White. These were the brand’s proper product, like the Spanish cotton ruffle dress, worn with white stretch running leggings pictured here, from a new collaboration with Nike Running and Nike Women. The footwear is a continuation of a successful launch of this year’s The Ten collaboration, reinterpreting Nike’s ten footwear iconic classics.
The more formal portion of the show did not seem to compliment the racetrack aesthetic. A white, lace, dress paired with a belted, slim, long overcoat or a light, yellow, large ruffle dress seemed to clash. It may be an effort of the brand and its creative director Virgil Abloh to elevate the product offering, but the pairing seemed slightly off the mark unlike the other more sporty elements like white, logo jackets or the yellow t-shirts and snakeskin print pants that reverberate more with the brand’s consumers. A large, white, tulle ball gown with yellow paint at the bottom reminded me of a similar gown spray painted live on stage long ago at an Alexander McQueen show in London.
Several athletes modeled in the show, including runners Dana Asher Smith from UK, Vashti Cunningham from US, and heptathlete Nafi Thiam from Belgium--wearing new iterations of running tights and unitards. A memorable look from the show was a black bra and legging pairing with a black, waist-belt train made for Nike Women. It’s these sideline collaborations that are now becoming the real bottom line and perhaps the heart and soul of the Off-White brand. The casual apparel and the ancillary products like footwear, accessories, and eyewear, rather than a designer ready to wear collection, are what matter most.
