Ib Kamara Has Left the Creative Direction of Off-White™ The brand enters a new era
Ib Kamara has officially stepped down from the creative directorship of Off-White™, a role he had held since 2022 following the passing of founder Virgil Abloh. The stylist had to shoulder an enormous responsibility: growing Off-White™ while honoring its roots, shaped by the fusion of street culture, luxury, and community that had made it an icon of contemporary fashion. Ib Kamara proved highly capable in the role, thanks to the bond he had cultivated with Abloh at Louis Vuitton, but by then, following the designer's passing, fashion had changed its face, and with it, interest in luxury streetstyle. Despite his departure, Kamara appears to still be open to collaborating with the brand. «Off-White goes beyond any single idea, exactly as Virgil intended: […] the belief that fashion can speak to everyone», the stylist commented.
With demand for luxury streetwear beginning to slow, Off-White™ had lost momentum following Abloh's passing. LVMH sold its controlling stake in the brand to Bluestar Alliance, an American group that has bet on accessibility to carry the brand forward, going so far as to launch a more affordable line, L/AB c/o Off-White™. More recently, the brand had also announced a long-standing project involving ten external collaborations with artists such as Kid Cudi and other designers like Raul Lopez of Luar. It has not yet been announced whether the brand intends to find a new creative director.