“Public Television” was the name of Off-White’s Fall 2019 Menswear show in Paris. This season, Virgil Abloh took on the media as the main reference and its manipulative impact on the masses. How people present themselves on-screen can change one’s perception in more ways than one, slightly similar to those in the fashion industry. As one of the current kings of branding, Abloh went head-on in regurgitating all of his classics that helped him achieve his iconic status today. Oversized sportswear, twisted deconstruction on traditional tailoring, and the like. Although most of them were more of the same, it wasn’t such a bad idea after all. It was here that the fashion sphere came to realize the overarching impact of Abloh’s streetwear aesthetic in the world of fashion, especially when it came to sportswear. Pre-Abloh’s Off-White, no one would have taken the puffer pink pants or monochrome navy tracksuit seriously, but now, it’s bound to become a novel outfit for streetwear mavens. The same goes with the slouchy drawstring denim jeans and neon-colored suits that closed the show. They’re now looked upon with instant desire instead of disgust. The way Abloh has branded, not only himself but the entire streetwear movement in the eyes of the discriminatory fashion industry, is quite a feat!
Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
