This Is What Off-White™’s Next Era Looks Like
We’re living in what’s arguably one of the most democratic eras of creativity: the time it takes to go from idea to action has been compressed to almost nothing. For better or worse, anyone can be just about anything — or at least make an earnest attempt.
This level of accessibility was Virgil Abloh’s dream, the thesis behind nearly all of his work and the thematic heartbeat of his brand Off-White™. Existing as the bridge between “high” and “low,” the brand, from its inception, challenged what — and, more importantly, who — should be allowed in the arena of fashion. With the barrier to entry lowered, Abloh and his brand became the primary case study in how to disrupt an establishment once thought to be closed off.
From working with the late designer at Nike to serving as Off-White™’s CEO since 2023, Cristiano Fagnani has seen firsthand the lasting impact of Abloh’s ethos. “[Off-White™] was built as an experiment,” Fagnani says on a Zoom call. “The brand was made to challenge the status quo, comment on what’s been done, and create space for something new. It presented a very wide vision and progressive view for a future that had no limits.”
Now, the brand is expanding on that vision. It’s launching L/AB ℅ Off-White™, a sub-label created for a rising class of creatives. Referred to by Fagnani as a “toolkit,” the line is less aspirational and more attainable, designed to fit seamlessly into the lives of the ambitious voices Off-White™ has always spoken to.
L/AB draws from Off-White™’s “Laboratory of Fun” Fall/Winter ’21 collection, treating creativity as an open-ended process: something that’s never complete. Made up of essential pieces that re-contextualize familiar codes for a cohort that may not be familiar with the Off-White™ lore, L/AB arrives as a history lesson of sorts. “The launch of L/AB is very honest,” Fagnani says. “It’s an open platform we’re building to connect directly with people. Off-White™ provides the craftsmanship while L/AB provides the uniform for the everyday.”
In just a little more than a decade, Off-White™ established a recognizable visual identity synonymous with a broader cultural transformation, where influence moved away from institutions and toward individuals. Today, Fagnani says the brand that helped spark that change is undergoing a transition of its own. “(Off-White™) is technically still a teenager, which means we’re still in discovery mode,” he says. “The brand is in a place where we’re looking ahead while staying connected to the core DNA Virgil instilled.”
Shot by Services Généraux in Berlin, the campaign for L/AB pairs musicians JT, PZ, and Glaive with members of the next-gen in-crowd such as Julez Smith, Mazzy Joya, Vivian Jenna Wilson, and Jay Guapo.
With Abloh himself gone, what remains is a philosophy that encourages those still here to keep tinkering and tweaking, processing and producing. “In every moment, the youth is the future, so it’s our duty to stay with those who are still dreaming,” Fagnani says. “L/AB is less about Off-White™ and more about letting the kids know we still hear, see, and want to learn alongside them.”
