Off-White Spring 2017 - Runway Review

While he titled his collection “Business Woman,” this was distinctly not a working girl. Instead, Virgil Abloh took staples like men’s shirts and pin-striped suits as the starting point for his Off-White collection which, in this day and age of street style, has become a big blur.

Abloh said the collection was inspired by his girl friends—a coterie of independent ladies who pay their own way in life and seek no one’s approval but their own. That sense of worth translated in a collection that emphasized female empowerment, but not in a literal sense.

While today’s working women don’t necessarily stick to a nine-to-five schedule, Abloh nevertheless opened the shoe with variations on the classic striped shirt, ranging from a ruffled elasticized crop top to slim tunic styles fitted around the chest. Worn over them were tailored jackets with a twist: a scarlet blazer was paired with track pants, while another was made of two halves of different colors and lengths.

But what’s all work and no play? For downtime, options included Off-White’s trademark hoodies and pin-striped Levi’s jeans. They were a nice counterpoint to the noticeable bump in the luxe factor that the brand is now showcasing; the purple satin one-shouldered jumpsuit, worn with a white leather belt bag, said it all.