Off-White S/S 15 sees Virgil Abloh attempt to depart from his patented formula of "Graphic + T-shirt = expensive" that has defined his previous offerings. He succeeds in the form of floral print, distressed M-65s and washed-out cargo pants, but ultimately still falls victim to his own need to print any and all garments with frivolous logos rather than, at least sometimes, letting their quality, silhouette and underlying message speak for themselves. Patches are utilized well on jackets, but when placed on pants and T-shirts in clusters come across as odd or, worse, a last-ditch effort to differentiate this collection from his last when so much of it obviously similar.
The collection is entitled "Moving Still", but wouldn't "Still Moving" have been a more clever title? At least then Abloh would have the wishy-washy ideas of "perseverance" and "determination" to lean on when asked to explain his clothing. And, if he wants to be a real designer, then that wouldn't be a bad place to start. In a vacuum, the M-65s, leather jackets and even the ripped, stonewashed denim are all admirable achievements, while the all-red-everything story is as jarring as it is familiar, and by far the weakest of the bunch. That along with yet another, almost identical Caravaggio graphic don't fit in with the beach bum theme, and are indicative of a designer who is perhaps too afraid to fully let go of his old, if not, most profitable ideas, even when his new ones are clearly so much better.
