Making Off-White’s debut at New York Fashion Week with the SS25 “Duty Free” collection, Dazed editor-in-chief and Off-White creative director IB Kamara placed both his and Off-White’s diverse international influences centre-stage. Delving into these inspirations behind the collection in the video above, Kamara explains how “growing up in Sierra Leone, there’s always this feeling of winning the lottery and moving to America, [it’s] seen as this sort of paradise. But, actually, when you go to America it’s real-life, so the clothes are quite practical, too.”
This creative dialogue between America, the home of late Off-White founder Virgil Abloh, and Africa, where Kamara was born, is woven throughout the show. “I was inspired by African drip and studied the traditional ways that women wrap their waists in East Africa,” Kamara says of the collection, “But then there’s this georgette [fabric] inside as a layer and this sportswear hoodie language merging into the Africa drip.”
Also featured in the collection is art by Ghanaian artist Nana Danso, whose work explores African mythologies with expressive, movement-oriented brushstrokes. “It has this anime African deity feel that I’m kind of obsessed with,” smiles Kamara, handling a t-shirt featuring one of Danso’s paintings.
Capturing exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage from the show that saw the likes of Dalton DuBois, Symone and NLE Choppa walk the runway, as well as everyone from Victoria Monet and Camilla Cabello to Mary J. Blige and Flava Flav in attendance, this video documents a landmark moment for the visionary fashion brand.
Watch the full video above.