Off-White & Undercover Experiment With Their Collections For Paris Fashion Week
The newest Off-White RTW fall 2023 collection came with a lot of talking points. From Naomi Campbell walking in the show to Kamara taking us to the moon! This was a defining collection as it was Kamara’s first collection made fully under his own creative vision. Let’s take a look!
Photo: Filippo Fior via Vogue
Naomi Campbell’s presence in the show was loved by many, she appeared twice, in the beginning, and of course for the finale. Campbell, who last year alongside Cindy Crawford and other iconic 90s supermodels made a special appearance as a tribute to the late designer Virgil Abloh. A special runway show that invited not only the world greatest supermodels from the 90s but also the greats from the next generation including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and her sister.
This collection was all about experimentation and how the designers can incorporate unique materials that only a few would think to put in a runway collection. At the beginning of the show, Naomi was wearing what looked like a black tire holding up a dark sheer dress, and sprinkled throughout the show were futuristic sunglasses with up to four lenses on some of them. When talking about the show, Kamara said, “We’re experimenting, we’re still developing our own codes”. It is very refreshing to know that Kamara will continue to try new approaches, and do it his own way when it comes to designing.
Photo: Filippo Fior via Vogue
Without the late Virgil Abloh, the company had struggled to find a replacement. He was a dependable designer who always thought of something new to bring to the table. Virgil Abloh will go down in fashion history and there will never be a true replacement for him. While Abloh put his label Off-White on the map, Kamara now has to step into his shoes. Although he has big shoes to fill, he will make his presence known within the industry using his own mind.
Photo: Filippo Fior via Vogue
However, Kamara did pay tribute to Abloh with this fall 2023 collection. Many of the pieces had holes and circular cutouts, which was a technique that was frequently used by Abloh. The holes in the clothing were seen as meteor holes, pointing to the moon-like theme of the show as is titled “Lunar Delivery”. This also recognizes the country where Kamara was born, Sierra Leone in Western Africa. Making the show more personal to him by using his home country as an inspiration even more respectable and unique because he is putting a part of himself on the runway.
If we are talking about experimentation at Paris Fashion Week, let’s mention Undercover, a Japanese fashion brand created by Jun Takahashi. Takahashi pulled from his favorite music eras for this collection, and people were on the edge of their seats when they saw how he incorporated this into the garments.
Photo: Isidore Montag via Vogue
The show begins with bright and metallic suits that were very eye-catching from not only the color but also the fit of the suit. High-waisted and fitted pants were paired with a cropped suit jacket including a contrasting tie to stand out. Nothing about this collection is subtle, making it so compelling to watch and analyze. Even down to the makeup, which was mostly a colorful foundation with red eyeshadow and bright red mascara.
Photo: Isidore Montag via Vogue
Later in the show came more muted suits with neutral colors sans the metallic effect that was seen earlier. In addition, there come coats, jackets, pants, and skirts with small writing and drawings all over them. A few pieces, in particular, were pleated skirts with hands reaching out in the places where pockets would be.
Toward the end of the show, coats are once again statement pieces. They are covered in fur, patterns, colors, and uncommon materials. 4 of the coats had a very interesting texture and volume, and they ranged in length and intensity of their flair. Others were more relaxed and seemed to be part of a set containing matching pants, shirts, and even a headpiece.
Photo: Isidore Montag via Vogue
The last two looks of the 46-piece collection were differing from each other. Number 45 included a long black puffer coat with a matching top that extended into headwear. With it also came black pants and flats to finish the look. On the contrary, the last look was a short suit-like puffer coat with a knee-length loose undershirt, which also included a headpiece, and white pants and shoes. However, both looks still had the red mascara and eyeshadow to complete the pattern to the end of the show.