Virgil Abloh's Off-White festivities kicked off this week in Paris. To mark the occasion, Virgil dipped into his black book in recruiting rappers such as Playboi Carti and Offset as part-time models for the weeklong extravaganza. Abloh is calling his show/new line "Public Television," in keeping with his DIY design motif. The clothes modeled by Carti, Offset, models professionally cast in their role, are generally oversized, when and where Abloh sees fit. And yet, every outfit is meticulous in its conception.
Even the flowy bubble coats and blazers, boast a high degree of tailoring in this collection. Carti is pictured strutting in a flashy green ski outfit, not to be outdone by Offset's pink bomber, black tunic, coupled with his YRN kneck chocker for added-panache. The general idea here is that if hip-hop is going to be assimilated at such a high propensity by the fashion industry, why not cast rappers on the catwalk?
As you might recall, Offset has been somewhat of a scene stealer at Paris Fashion Week, mostly due to a Louis Vuitton mink coat he wore at Virgil Abloh's behest. Before taking the limelight all to himself with his "Public Television" collection, Abloh debuted a series art installments around the World, in preparation for his unveiling.
"A yellow brick road, a field of red poppies, an emerald green forest—the colorful World of Oz that inspired the Men's Spring-Summer 2019 Collection has been brought to life in a short-lived residency housed in the Chrome Hearts' West Village store," wrote Abloh in anticipation of the big event.