41 Pyrex Vision

Off Whites first collection arrived in 2014, it was packed with streetwear staples: oversized hoodies, leather jackets flannels shirts and distressed denim these garments carried a distinctive feature. They were audaciously branded with giant logos and striped graphics. Off White would read across the back of shirts with a name on a jersey. Stripes would be imprinted on sides of socks and every article of clothing would announce itself when worn together, as if Virgil was trying to create a team uniform for a sport of being an ecleckted fashionista. This look was the beginning of the 2nd phase of Virgil’s evolution. His first direct foray into the creation of his brand was Pyrex vision.

Launched in 2012, Pyrex was a fashion experiment for Virgil. The name was inspired by the pushing t line. Virgil was contextually trying to make his money by taking Michael Jordan’s number along with discounted champion and polo garments and whipped dup a way to create product in demand.

“VISION”

Pyrex vision sold for $100 - $500 per piece. The absurdity of the context plus the endorsement of the celebrity connections made the vision into reality. Virgil had made his first noticeable mark as an individual designer. With influence from the likes of Kanye, Kanye’s first runway show in 2012 was the first major step that Dondateam would take into the world of high fashion. They would later realise their design potential with 2015’s Yeezy season, a focus on oversized distressed materials with a striking colour palette. RSVP Gallery would act as Virgil’s exercise and curation creating art objects and fashion. His ability to create a unified look was one of the most influential part of Off Whites success.

The Off White x Pyrex can be traced back to Virgil’s branding of Off White. Fashion and branding remain at the core of Been Trill since 2012 they often collaborated to produce clothing with HoodbyAir, a streetwear label that quickly evolved into high end fashion.

Fundamentally, Virgil’s brand involves reimagining accessories and clothing with added detail and structure. Virgil claims he “started the brand with the idea to change preconceptions of what a typical fashion designer should act like” Since then, he’s been transparent about the whole process of Off White whilst sharing images through his social media platforms to keep his work current. To which this has massively influenced an influx of different brands attempting to replicate his success.

Typically, Off White is considered “cool and urban” especially to teens of this generation. So one issue considered with the brand is its sustainability compared to other competitors. Streetwear is part of this sustainability problem As a result, the market has been flooded with countless young designers for whom environmental and social responsibility are low on the priority list. One difference of Off White however is the sourcing of his products. From high end materials, the brand focusses on the quality over the quantity. “Ethical isn’t a word commonly associated with streetwear, “this doesn’t necessarily apply to Off White as Virgil not only creates ethical products he loves but as a means for his consumers to express identity along with wanting to create one of the first streetwear brands that’s materials and items were ethically sourced and puts sustainability at the forefront.

Virgil has expressed his support for sustainability by collaborating with brands such as Evian. In 2018 Abloh’s collaboration helped oversee his innovation in sustainability, showing his ethical approach in the manufacturing of his clothes., “Evian is an iconic brand with a strong heritage in fashion and creativity. Its sustainability ambitions align with my own, together we can push boundaries and explore new areas of revolution”. This shows that Virgil used his sustainable beliefs to collaborate with a successful brand, branching outside of the fashion industry to portray his ethical brand beliefs.