Off-White™ Launches New Collaboration With Subversive Graffiti Artist KATSU
Featuring womenswear, menswear and a video game.
Virgil Abloh and Off-White™ released a new multi-part collaboration with New York graffiti artist KATSU on July 9, featuring both a womenswear and menswear collection in addition to a digital interface and video game.
As an experimental street artist, KATSU became known during the early 2000’s for his graffiti and now focuses on art, vandalism, dark tech and more. “I’ve been a KATSU fan for a long time,” Abloh said in a press release. “And, more recently, I’ve seen just how ahead of the curve he is when it comes to fusing a kind of subversive tradition with a radical future. He crosses lines, and dissolves them. That thinking is a perfect adjunct to my ethos at Off-White.”
The OffKat collaboration features a medley of eccentric street art-inspired pieces for both women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories. Tailored suits, flared chinos, pleated skirts with graphic paint designs, boxy leather blazers and deconstructed dresses characterize the collection. KATSU’s “skull moniker,” in addition to the artist’s drone paintings, are interwoven throughout the collection’s pieces. Although there are both womenswear and menswear offerings, the collection offers a gender-neutral appeal, allowing for movement between pieces.
To debut the collaboration, OffKat hosted an event in Beijing, China on July 9. About 100 mannequins were arranged in a space to simulate a crowd while models wearing the collection moved between them. The New York City exhibition of the collaboration occurred on July 10 and July 11 at 32 Mercer St, featuring a projection of the Beijing show in addition to showcasing other elements of the collaboration.
The Offkat collection is available at the Beijing store as well as in limited capacities at select Off-White™ monobrand stores and select Off-White™ retailers worldwide.
In related news, check out more information about the OffKat video game.
