Six months have swept by since Virgil Abloh tragically passed away aged only 41. Now, the question of who will continue his legacy at Off-White has been resolved. On May 1 over Instagram, the label Abloh dreamt up and painstakingly tended to announced Ibrahim 'Ib' Kamara as its new Art and Image Director.
In a post accompanied with a portrait of Kamara, Off-White detailed the Sierra Leone-born, London-based journalist and stylist's ties to the brand and its late Creative Director. Over the past three years, Kamara and Abloh sparked a fruitful, close working relationship and friendship through a chain of Instagram DMs. During this time Kamara was intimately involved with the Off-White shows, having styled them on top of his day-to-day duties as editor-in-chief of Dazed — a role he took on in 2021.
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Shortly after Off-White made the announcement, Ib Kamara made the following statement. “Virgil will forever be with us. With me. He changed the world and left an indelible mark on anyone who encountered him and beyond," Kamara said.
"Generous with his time, mind and creativity - he saw everyone and created with all humans in mind. I am honored to further link my ties to Off-White™️ as their Art & Image Director and be a part of the team that will tell the rest of the story Virgil started writing for us all."
Ib Kamara has had a prolific career in fashion so far; having worked with Burberry, Dior, Kenneth Ize, and Stella McCartney as a stylist and art director. In November 2021, just a day before Abloh's death, he was awarded the Isabella Blow Award at the British Fashion Council’s The Fashion Awards. He was also formerly fashion editor-at-large for i-D, and Kamara will continue his role as editor-in-chief at Dazed in tandem with his new appointment at Off-White.
With Virgil Abloh laying down a blueprint for Off-White, the onus now falls on Ib Kamara and its team of creatives to propel the brand into the future. We are looking forward to what lay on the horizon.
