Off-White Makes Its NYFW Debut Under The Helm Of IB Kamara
IB Kamara, Off-White Creative Director, has made his debut with the brand’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection at NYFW.
On Sunday (Sept. 8), Kamara and his team took over Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2 into a makeshift basketball court to fit its “Duty Free” theme.
Merging his perception of America and Africa through a sportswear lens, Karama explained in a statement, “This collection was triggered by a trip to Ghana, the place where Virgil [Abloh] came from and the roots he cherished and constantly referred to in his work. I was born in Sierra Leone, and eventually grew up in London, but our experiences were similar. I have vivid memories of what America, and New York in particular, represented in the collective imagination of Africans: a dreamland of utopias made real, a place of opportunities.”
When describing his America, Kamara told the New York Times, “[It’s] this beacon of imaginative hope. In the ’90s, when I grew up, everybody was playing the lottery. Come to the U.S. because you have a better life. You have freedom, you have education. Now we are returning that sense of life, joy, community. I think it’s important for Off-White to have a New York moment and fill the city with optimism. I’m really invested in the city. I don’t just see this as a one-time thing.”
Julez Smith, son of Solange Knowles, and NLE Choppa were among the models who walked in the show. Attendees including Mary J. Blige, Flavor Flav, Coco Jones, Victoria Monét, Ayra Starr, Issa Rae, and June Ambrose.
Kamara worked under the tutelage of Off-White founder Virgil Abloh until his death in November 2021. The designer/editor was named creative director in April 2022. He described the brand’s debut as his “most autobiographical outing in every respect” and does hope to return for fashion week in February.
Check out highlights of the looks and guests from Off-White’s NYFW debut below.
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