All-White: Virgil Abloh’s Off-White™ Design Team Is Melanin Deficient
Source: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff / Getty
2019 has been a very interesting year regarding cultural inclusion within luxury fashion houses. In a very interesting turn it seems like Virgil Abloh is the only brown skin person at his company.
The Chicago native has a bit of explaining to do. As reported by Refinery 29 the esteemed designer shared photos from a recent Off-White
staff event. The gathering was an overdue holiday party for the crew which took place in Italy. While the gesture of thanking his team for a strong fourth quarter performance was well received the lack of diversity in his crew was glaring.
Not gonna lie I thought @virgilabloh would have some black people working with him but I’m not surprised pic.twitter.com/TLqb0CEbLb
— lil shorty bulgogi (@wsupden) April 30, 2019
In several flicks we can see wine flowing throughout the room as several White employees smile with what we assume to be gratitude to be with a winning squad. But surprisingly there is not one person of color in sight. Considering that his pricey wears are so highly sought after in urban communities the absence of any Black employees is concerning for many. Naturally the Internets called Virgil out.
they call it @OffWht but it seems All White to me
what up @virgilabloh you don’t employ Black Art Directors? pic.twitter.com/zGTyoF3kQ2
— Weedris Elba (@WorkingMichael) April 30, 2019
According to their mission statement the brand name is said to be “the grey area between black and white as the color off-white” to the fashion world. Clearly it is leaning towards ivory side of the scale.
Photo: Getty
DMT.NEWS
via DMT.NEWS, Martin Berrios
May 3, 2019 at 09:45AM
