Off-White's Virgil Abloh on the Most Powerful Logo
GO LOGO: With an in-store roller rink and afro-wigged waiters proffering cups of Champagne and chips, Le Bon Marché set a freewheeling disco mood for the opening of its “Let’s Go Logo!” exhibition on Monday night, kicking off Paris Fashion Week.
“Logos have always been a very powerful tool, they’re very necessary in our world for identifying one thing from another. The most powerful? Probably McDonald’s or something like that. A little kid driving down the street can recognize that,” drawled Virgil Abloh during a tour of his Off-White café and pop-up store on the second floor. “It’s one of my favorite stores in Paris and here I wanted to transport people into an Off-White Paris. It’s like a typical stroll through a Parisian street, all the walls are white, it feels like a passageway.”
Abloh remains a fan of physical stores.
“I think it’s vital. No matter what, on a Saturday afternoon I still like to walk around. If I’m traveling I like to go and see what’s in stores. Brick-and-mortar will definitely not go away; it’s about creating true experiences, enhancing the product in a way we haven’t seen, and creating ambiance. What I’ve tried to do here is give an impression of what the brand looks and feels like — you can’t do that so much with an online store,” he said.
Esteban Cortázar said he’s not that into playing with logos in an obvious way, but “It’s fun to bring back vintage logos from time to time.”
Asked her favorite logo, stylist Catherine Baba mused: “Colgate? And I love the Yves Saint Laurent logo.” She kept her fur coat and giant purple fur hat on indoors. “Must stay warm. Recycled fur, of course,” she trilled.
Casey Spooner said he doesn’t wear a lot of logos, “but sometimes they’re fun — no rules.”
“It’s hard to beat the Chanel logo,” added the musician, swathed in a chunky Ermenegildo Zegna shearling coat. “I was cold, it’s really cold. And I have to save myself for the stage, this is my week off. ” Spooner will soon be winging his way back to New York to rehearse for a West Coast tour and a Miami show to promote Fischerspooner’s new album, “Sir.”
He’ll be back in Europe for a museum show opening at the NAK Neuer Aachener Kunstverein in Aachen, Germany, on April 1. Abloh is one of over 35 designers part of the "Let's Go Logo!" collection, which is available online at 24sevres.com.
“It’s an exhibition that covers the genesis of my new persona. It’s every photo shoot I did from 2013 to 2018,” said Spooner. So, what’s his current persona? “You’re looking at it,” he said.
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