Words by Megan Ambers
It’s been over a month since the 20th year anniversary of the tragic passing of Diana, Princess of Wales. Princess Diana, so sweetly nicknamed, The People’s Princess, was highly praised for her distinctive and sophisticated fashion sense in both the 1980s and 1990s. A distinctive fashion icon that has inspired designer Virgil Abloh and his brand Off-White. Over the summer, Abloh released his collaborative sneaker collection, Nike x Off-White sneakers: The Ten. A collection of popular Nike sneakers, reconstructed by Abloh. During this time, the designer sent out invitations to his Paris Fashion Week show bearing an image of Princess Diana.
The inspired collection revealed on Thursday, September 28 during Paris Fashion Week S/S 18, displayed a serene sense of a woman, whose life was all but so. There were no music, just a score composed by Guillaume Berg, made of birds and animals native to the area of her birth. Backstage of his presentation, Abloh shared what she meant to the fashion world and the motivation to pay tribute to her.
I think she’s a muse for the modern woman, young and old, 16 to 60. She’s the figure in the back of the head of a generation: a powerful, independent and kind woman, and I wanted to pay tribute to that. Off-White has always been about the modern woman, the empowered woman, the business woman, and I wanted the show to be influenced by her presence.
Although many of the looks from the collection reflect important moments of fashion in Diana’s life, it is not always obvious that she is his muse. But with closer observation you can pick up of subtle signature looks such as the black and white flecked print, and bulky sleeves. Of course just like the Nike collaboration, Abloh reconstructed the known softness of Diana’s feminine style and added his own avant-garde taste with leather, and crop-tops. The collection also included collaborations including Jimmy Choo. It was the first time that the shoe company has ever collaborated with an outside designer. “She was a strong individual that despite her position had her own personal taste and it came out through the clothes.” said Abloh, of Diana’s personal style. “There is no stylist at play here.”
