Off-White (company)

Off-White Operating S.r.l.
FormerlyPYREX VISION
Company typeSocietà a responsabilità limitata
IndustryFashion
Founded2013; 11 years ago (2013) in Milan, Italy
FounderVirgil Abloh
Headquarters
Milan
,
Italy
Number of locations
59 (as of 2024)[1]
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsClothing, shoes, accessories, branding
Owner
Websitewww.off---white.com

Off-White is a fashion brand founded by American multidisciplinary designer Virgil Abloh in Milan in 2013.[2][3] In September 2024, LVMH sold it to brand management company Bluestar Alliance,[4] which owns Scotch & Soda, Hurley, bebe, and Catherine Malandrino.[5]

History

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The company was first founded as "PYREX VISION" by Virgil Abloh in Milan, Italy in 2012.[3] Abloh then rebranded the company as Off-White in 2013, which he described as "the grey area between black and white as the color off-white" to the fashion world.[6] It has shown collections at Paris Fashion Week shows, and is sold in boutiques in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Milan, London, and New York City.[6]

In August 2019, the British e-commerce company Farfetch, purchased Off-White's parent organization New Guards Group for US$675 million.[7]

In July 2021, LVMH announced it would be taking a 60% stake in Off-White, with Farfetch retaining the remaining 40%.[8][9][10] However, Abloh owned the trademark for Off-White[11][12]

Ib Kamara was appointed Art & Image Director for Off-White on April 30, 2022.[13]

In 2024, LVMH sold Off-White to Bluestar Alliance.[14]

Collaborations

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Off-White has collaborated with brands such as, Nike, Levi, Rimowa, Jimmy Choo, IKEA, Moncler, Browns, Warby Parker, SSENSE, Sunglass Hut, Champion, Evian, Converse, Dr. Martens, Barneys New York, Umbro, Timberland, Byredo, Le Bon Marché, Chrome Hearts, and A.C. Milan. They have also collaborated musicians and designers such as Takashi Murakami, Heron Preston, ASAP Rocky, Boys Noize, Asspizza, and Kerwin Frost.[15][16]

Off-White's collaboration with Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art

In Fall 2016, and Winter 2017, the company collaborated with Levi's main line, Made & Crafted, and released twelve pieces, six of which were unisex.[15]

In early 2017, the company collaborated with Nike and worked on a project named "The Ten", which is a sneaker collection featuring Air Jordans, Converse, Nike Air Max, Nike Air Force One, and Nike Blazers shoes.[17] The collaborations shoe line was divided into two categories, the "Revealing" and "Ghosting".[18][19] The Off-White and Nike designers had an updated take on Nineties-style shoes, with various patterns and different types of material such as plastic and tulle.[15]

In 2017, the company collaborated with Champion developing sixteen items of clothing, including tracksuits, hoodies, fleeces, and t-shirts.[15] In August 2017, the company also collaborated with ASAP Rocky with his label AWGE.[20] In 2018, the company partnered with Jimmy Choo to create a Summer/Spring collection inspired by Lady Diana, former Princess of Wales.[15]

In April 2018, the company collaborated with IKEA on furniture targeted towards millennials.[21] In Fall 2018 and Winter 2019, the company collaborated with Sunglass Hut on a unisex line of sunglasses called "For Your Eyes Only".[15] In March 2019, the company collaborated with SSENSE on a range of workout clothes.[22] On June 5, 2018, the company released its collaboration with Rimowa, a transparent suitcase in limited edition.[23] Following the success of the collaboration, a second collection including two RIMOWA x Off-White transparent suitcases (a white version and a black version) is launched in October 2018.[24]

In June 2019, the company collaborated with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, to create a new "University Blue" color of the Nike Air Force One.[25]

In September 2024, the company entered its first collaboration with an American sports team. The brand announced a new multi-year partnership with WNBA[26] team, New York Liberty. This announcement comes a week after the company showed it collection for the first time during the 2024 New York Fashion Week.[27][28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Off-White Physical Retail".
  2. ^ "Off-White Corporate Information".
  3. ^ a b Payne, Teryn (January 31, 2018). "Virgil Abloh Is Fighting for Kids That Feel Marginalized by the Fashion Industry". Teen Vogue. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  4. ^ ZARGANI, Luisa (September 30, 2024). "LVMH Sells Off-White to Bluestar Alliance". Women's Wear Daily.
  5. ^ Off-White sold by LVMH to Bluestar Alliance VOGUE Business, MADELEINE SCHULZ, September 30, 2024
  6. ^ a b Yotka, Steff (March 28, 2018). "A Brief History of Virgil Abloh's Meteoric Rise". Vogue. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  7. ^ Fernandez, Chantal (August 8, 2019). "Why Farfetch Bought New Guards Group". Business of Fashion. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  8. ^ Dalton, Matthew (July 20, 2021). "Virgil Abloh Sells Off-White to LVMH, Deepening Ties With Luxury Conglomerate". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  9. ^ Dalton, Matthew (March 26, 2018). "Louis Vuitton Appoints Virgil Abloh as New Creative Director". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  10. ^ "Off-White: will Virgil Abloh's brand be bought by LVMH?". nss magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  11. ^ "Has Virgil Abloh registered the trademark of his own name?". nss magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  12. ^ "Virgil Abloh Doesn't Own Off-White, But He Owns Its Trademark. Here's What That Means". www.complex.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  13. ^ "Off-White on Instagram". April 30, 2022.
  14. ^ Luise Zargani (30 September 2024), LVMH Sells Off-White to Bluestar Alliance Women's Wear Daily.
  15. ^ a b c d e f Salessy, Héloïse; Marain, Alexandre; Nield, Isabel (March 26, 2018). "Off-White: the 18 collabs that cemented Virgil Abloh's career". Vogue Paris. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  16. ^ "Here Are Virgil Abloh's 10 Best Collaborations Ever". Highsnobiety. August 31, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  17. ^ Welty, Matt (December 27, 2018). "Ranking All of the Off-White x Nike Sneakers, From Worst to Best". Complex. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  18. ^ "The Ten: Icons Reconstructed by Virgil Abloh is happening". nss magazine. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  19. ^ Gorsler, Fabian (July 26, 2018). "OFF-WHITE x Nike Sneakers: An Analysis of Resell Prices". Highsnobiety. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  20. ^ Li, Nicolaus (September 12, 2017). "Midnight Studios & AWGE Announce a Special Midnight Rave NYFW Pop-Up". Hypebeast. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  21. ^ Gibson, Eleanor (May 1, 2018). "IKEA offers first look at furniture designed for millennials by Virgil Abloh". Dezeen. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  22. ^ Hopkins, Mayzie (March 28, 2019). "Off-White x SSENSE Fitness Capsule". V Magazine. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  23. ^ "Rimowa Has Made a $1,000 See-Through Suitcase". Bloomberg. June 5, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  24. ^ "Exclusive: Rimowa and Off-White Are Releasing a New Luggage Collection". GQ. October 5, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  25. ^ "Virgil Abloh x MCA Chicago x Nike Air Force 1 '07 Official Imagery and Release Info". HYPEBEAST. June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  26. ^ "WNBA". {{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)
  27. ^ "NYFW: The Shows - Home". NYFW. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  28. ^ "Off-White™ Announces Official Partnership With WNBA Team New York Liberty". Hypebeast. September 23, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
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