It’s been six months since the untimely passing of Virgil Abloh, who died from a rare form of heart cancer on November 28. Since then, fashion nerds have prophesied on who might – or rather, could – succeed the designer at Off-White and Louis Vuitton, given his expansive and culture-shifting output. That is, however, until today, when Dazed’s editor-in-chief IB Kamara, was announced as the new art and image director of Off-White.
In essence, this means Kamara will steer the creative direction of the brand, which the late designer founded in 2012. Over the past few years, Kamara and Abloh forged close horizons, first interacting via Instagram DMs before working together on blockbuster fashion shows and advertising campaigns. Neither Kamara nor Abloh come from a design background but in the wake of Off-White’s tribute show this February, Davide De Giglio, co-founder of the label’s parent company New Guards Group, detailed plans to fill the role with a collaborative platoon – a fact that was confirmed by the brand today.
“[Kamara] will be joining a collective of creatives and overseeing the artistic direction of the brand,” an accompanying press release read, “in the new role, he will further develop his influence and insight on the brand’s collections, image and content.” Shortly after the label broke the news on Instagram, Kamara said the following: “Virgil will forever be with us. With me. He changed the world and left an indelible mark on anyone who encountered him and beyond. Generous with his time, mind and creativity – he saw everyone and created with all humans in mind. I am honored to further link my ties to Off-White as their art and image director and be a part of the team that will tell the rest of the story Virgil started writing for us all.”
Andrea Grilli, who has been Off-White’s CEO since 2019, said: “In the wake of Virgil’s tragic passing we have been working tirelessly to keep his legacy alive and the brand relevant as a point of reference and platform in constant evolution. Inspired by Virgil’s vision and approach to his art we have nourished a collective of creative minds that represent the best in their category and have a strong and personal connection with Virgil. Having Ibrahim on board, who has been part of the Off-White family for years styling our shows, to oversee art and creative of the brand in this next chapter is a great honor. With his talent and vision we look forward to taking on the next chapter of Off-White together, always remembering the groundbreaking creativity and values that Virgil had at heart and that are the core of our brand.”
Besides who, exactly, will form Off-White’s creative collective, the most prescient question that remains is who LVMH will appoint as Abloh’s successor at Louis Vuitton – but as the jewel in the conglomerate’s crown, this is by no means a decision to be rushed.
