20x20 INVESTIGATION...
How is Of-White “IRONIC”? Of-White is known for having “EVERYTHING IN QUOTES” and is a recognisable asset to the brand. From Rhianna’s heeled boots that had “FOR WALKING” placed on them to a black dress with “LITTLE BLACK DRESS” on, everything seems so simple; ironic. In (Virgil Abloh’s Lecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design—YouTube, n.d.) Virgil Abloh says that he talks in quotes because it creates conversation and humour; this igurative communication and designing with a keyboard is the main tagline and what Of -White is well known for.
How is a “UTILITY” aesthetic applied to the Of-White appearance? Fashion has been seen to adopt this workwear/utility aesthetic, especially in Streetwear which is what Of-White primarily ofers. This workwear has become functional and is now worn daily as many have used it to create their own individual style. This aesthetic is extremely popular in the Menswear lines however, Of-White has now created Women’s clothing that has the same “UTILITY” appearance. Of-White has contributed to removing a slim silhouette and mixing it up with cargo pants which are baggy and the ever-increasing use of utility vests, utility bags, sneakers and pufer coats which all ofer protection from the workwear and utility appearance.
How is Of-White “STREETWEAR”? There is an essence that streetwear is this ‘hip-hop, skateboard culture’ (Davis, Dominic-Madori, 2019) that Virgil Abloh has said “I decided if ‘streetwear’ was gonna be the sign of the times, I was gonna deine it rather than be deined by it”. Famous for releasing T-Shirts, Hoodies, Sneakers etc. these all fall under the roof of what Streetwear looks like. However, Virgil himself, has said that Streetwear is going to die out. His Menswear A/W 2020 collection did see evidence that his style is adapting as he made use of smarter clothing such as tailored shirts and suits as he said that in this decade, people will be moving away from a Streetwear aesthetic (Cochrane, 2020).
How does Virgil Abloh use “ENCOURAGEMENT” through Of-White? As Virgil Abloh states “I’m not looking towards a new demographic. I’m looking towards the demographic I came from.”(Delistraty, 2017) he inspires youths to strive to be the best and to take every opportunity. Youth is where your creativity starts and he wants the creativity to low from one generation to the next. He has already attempted to take measures into his own hands by inviting 600 students to the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 20 Menswear Collection, which displayed childlike ideas. He wants to encourage creativity in whatever format there is and I think this is one of Virgil Abloh’s most important qualities. The younger generations and Millennials who purchase through Of-White can show their creativity in what they wear due to the exclusive and sentimental value that it ofers.
How does H&M cater for the Conscious Consumer? Since 2010 when launching a collection that was made from sustainable materials and the introduction of schemes such as garment collecting, H&M projects a message demonstrating that they care and they want to provide for people who have a passion to be as environmentally friendly to the planet as they can (H&M group | History, n.d.). Also, the fact that H&M ofers detailed information about their values and where they source their materials from, it enables the conscious consumer to read up about what H&M are doing to make a positive impact which will lead them into supporting the brand and purchasing from them.
How is H&M Afordable? H&M ofers clothing that is of good quality at an accessible price. The price of products from H&M range from about £2 to around £200. The average T-Shirt pack of 3 costs £19.99 and for smarter items such as polo shirts, these are around £34.99 (Men | H&M GB, n.d.). These iltered down prices compared to the luxury market means that people with smaller amounts of disposable income can still dress fashionably at a price that suits them.
How is H&M Sustainable? Although there are arguments that suggest there is no such thing as being sustainable, H&M takes pride in using sustainable materials and ensuring that they collect these from reliable sources. The garment collection scheme introduced in 2013, allows H&M to create a circular fashion cycle and use old garments to make new ones. They have also introduced the Conscious Shop where people can by Conscious Products which consist of more than 50% of sustainable materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester (Conscious-products-explained, n.d.). H&M are very informative about the decisions that they make as a company and are still working on their positive impact on the planet. As a fast fashion brand, they are aware of the negative labels and associations people place against these brands, however they are proving that their fast fashion label can be a positive thing as sustainability is at the forefront of most consumers’ minds than ever.
How does H&M exert Encouragement? From H&M continuously working towards being sustainable and green, as mentioned previously, schemes such as the Garment Collection, ‘encourages’ customers to think about how they dispose of their clothing that they no longer want or need anymore. They make the point of ensuring that people know it isn’t just companies who have to think about their impact on the planet, although this will be on a greater scale, customers can make small changes themselves.