Have you always heard about the brand Off White, but are unsure about what the hype is around it? Do you wonder what the relationship is between Jordan and Off-White, and how these two coexist on a shoe redesign? If so, then you should take the time to learn all about the Jordan Off-White collaboration.
The rise of Off-White as a brand is somewhat profound. The founder, Virgil Abloh, has a tremendous tie into one of the biggest trendsetters in the world, Kanye West.
See below for an in-depth article explaining the entire backstory behind Off-White, as well as how Jordan and Off-White came to collaborate.
The Beginning of a Friendship
If you were to look at Off-White’s founder, Virgil Abloh, you would come across many different pictures of him with Kanye West and many other trend-setting celebrities.
People might assume that he came across Kanye West after becoming famous, but it was actually the opposite to be true. These two’s stories are forever intertwined, thanks to a run-in in the state of Illinois.
You see, back in 2002, Abloh graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a civil engineering degree (go figure!). But the bigger accomplishment that year would be his meeting and building a relationship with Kanye West, who was an up-and-coming artist at the time.
As Kanye worked on his career as a rapper, Virgil Abloh pursued his master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Ever the adventurer, Abloh took an internship with Fendi in 2009, with which Kanye had an internship at the same exact time. After that time, Abloh agreed to become Kanye West’s creative director where he would oversee the consistent brand that West put out and coordinate his outfits.
During that time as Kanye’s Creative Director, Virgil Abloh was in charge of coordinating the art vision for his collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z.
Many experts tab this with launching Virgil Abloh into the artist-rapper circle. Many other rappers and celebrities came to him for guidance on their creative brand.
Blame It on the Pyrex
Of course, with all of this success and incredible accolades under his belt off the success of the Watch the Throne album, Virgil Abloh sought to create his own brand. That lead him to create a company called “Pyrex Vision” and sell signature pieces at a high-end price.
That business move, however, came with a bevy of criticism. It turned out that the entire business model of Pyrex Vision stemmed from the idea of essentially buying Ralph Lauren and Champion clothing pieces at cost, then screen printing graphics on them and selling them for several hundred dollars.
Right or wrong, Abloh still gets some backlash for that to this day, and that was back in 2012! After things from the Pyrex Vision subsided, Virgil Abloh wished to go on and do other things with his brand.
Abloh’s setback from the Pyrex Vision, in many ways, was pivotal to his growth as a designer. You can tell that he learned from those mistakes and that it affects the way he runs Off-White today.
Off-White Off the Top of His Head
Part of what makes Abloh so great is his bravery. He isn’t afraid to embrace the ironic and walk the line of “too edgy” in his clothing designs.
A year after the Pyrex Vision fell through, Virgil Abloh founded Off-White, the brand that we all know and love today. The entire brand features signature bold letters, quotes, and lifestyle clothing that offers an eery similarity to some of the most notable brands in the world.
The entire brand, from clothing to packaging, looks like it was purchased fresh out of a warehouse. Even the iconic orange zip tie seems to have a sarcastic nod to the way today’s top fashion products are distributed throughout the world.
Needless to say, Off-White has skyrocketed Virgil Abloh’s reputation into the stratosphere. It’s how he was able to become the Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton, collaborate with many name-brand fashion companies (from Timberland to Sunglass Hut), and coordinate some of the most envied Paris debuts.
Off-White and Nike Collaborate
Simply put, if you ever come across a pair of Off-White x Nike shoes, you had better purchase them while you can. They aren’t getting any cheaper; what started out as a $200 pair of sneakers now reaches four digits with ease.
Back in 2017, Nike tasked Off-White (Abloh) with redesigning 10 of their most popular sneaker models. This became known as “The Ten”. Nike Off-White and Jordan Off White shoes are created with the idea of breaking down the basic design of the signature shoe.
Virgil Abloh once encouraged fans to envision the silhouette of the ten Nike shoes he was redesigning. That was the inspiration behind the results.
If you’re looking to get your hands on a pair of shoes, we have a lot of recommendations for you! You could use the link in the phrase above to find a pair of Off-courts, Off-White out-of-office sneakers, Arrows, or a collab on the beautiful Nike React “Off-White” marathon shoes. Each of these is a complete work of art!
Invest in Jordan Off White Shoes for Your Collection Today
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on the history of Virgil Abloh and the Jordan Off White collaboration, be sure to get your hands on a pair of Off-White shoes or clothing today.
Take the time to browse our website for more articles on Off-White, as well as many other topics that you will find interesting.
