The late Céline, who defined New York Fashion Week’s punk-meets-prabal avatar, inspired Virgil Abloh to create Off-White, his own brand. Abloh has worn the now-ubiquitous bomber jacket as his uniform and is keen on experimentation with fabrics, cuts and silhouettes. Abloh, now 46, is the new face of those clothes.
So far, reaction to his fashion shows is mixed. For fall, it was brisk on Instagram. At his collection at the Ritz, in Paris, fans snapped up at least two boots and a backpack. At the New York Fashion Week Presentation, the 3.1 Phillip Lim show was filled with fans lining up to get in. “The runway,” Abloh told Vogue. “I wanted it to feel like a party at the end of the day.”
His luxury-forward take on those party favors looks like it’s stuck in headspace where outside press can’t have access. When a consensus emerged, it was as opposed to a criticism or apprehension about the clothes. To be truly appreciated, a creative is left to set the blueprint for their brand, create their own platforms for their followers, and then elicit them. The model Emily Ratajkowski and Rihanna fall into the latter category — they use social media platforms for a platform and then direct and reward it. Arguably, this puts Rihanna on a level with Balenciaga’s Demna Gvasalia and other top designers like Louis Vuitton’s Kim Jones and Marc Jacobs.
The fact that these social media stars are so attuned to these behind-the-scenes-movement, meaning their clothing choices represent a side of themselves that maybe gets lost in the rush and celebration on Instagram can be deeply confusing for fashion buyers and journalists.
A lack of hindsight is exactly where Instagram influencers can take a chance and take risks on their street styles — how They wear what they do on a daily basis.
In his Instagram Live question and answer, Abloh was asked if he thought the trend of bold celebrity influence would lead to more authenticity. He said, “If you don’t start questioning the current fashion industry, then you will be obsolete in the next year.”
Some of these trends can be attributed to fashion and the constant push and pull between social media and the creative impulse and the street style. It’s pretty easy to apply the same version of one style to the street and in the comfort of your living room. It’s in your face every time you’re out and about and see it everywhere you go.
Rihanna broke the mold with how she style’s in a very real, low-key way — whether she’s sporting a ragged peasant blouse and nubby, high-waisted pants or a see-through skirt with flowing sleeves. Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris rock street style pretty much every day in head-to-toe Ralph Lauren. Justin Timberlake opted for a different part of the street style journey when he wore a Moschino bolero jacket and white dungarees to an NFL game with his son, Silas.
The reality is that for fans of any street style set, these days, the ultimate fashion forensics of seeing how they dress should begin with the entire story of how they got here. The rise and fall of the Nineties cat-walk classics is still interesting (just don’t tell Madison Avenue executives). But most successful streetswagin’ stars also portray their own unique, but still recognizable, identities in a way that draws you in and hits a particular tone.
To illustrate how street style influences fashion, not only how fashion influences street style, but how street style influences today’s fashion darling, Virgil Abloh, asked for their personal stories. Here is Anna Dello Russo at what was arguably her heyday of Fendi. She’s not there anymore, but her most recent Instagram posts are having a similar impact on the brand — and what Abloh does with his fashion brands as well. By asking for their stories, Abloh has revealed that there are powerful ways to sum up influence that are beyond the creative impulse. But he’s also offered ways to stand out from the pack and direct their followers to him and Off-White.
This post was created by The Celebrity Mile.