The grey area

"The grey area between black and white is the colour Off-White". This definition, which Virgil Abloh gave to his brand, is a manifesto that will inspire future generations for a long time to come. His ability to juxtapose worlds, to make them dialogue to show the way to an inclusive way of thinking is what will remain of his work. Co-creation as an artistic performance between him, the brands and his audiences is what made him successful. It's also what luxury is all about. Its capacity to engage the consumer in a feeling of co-creation, of appropriation of beauty, of its values, in an open, universal world. This is also what allows us to understand why the meta-verse is central to the thinking of brands today. A grey area with unlimited universes of expression, where the design of clothing, furniture, works of art and architecture is conceived in a virtual dimension with no limits of access, open.

A new dimension that is already inspiring hundreds of start-ups, like those who met a few weeks ago in Lugano to take part in the Fashion Innovation Award 2021, in conjunction with the Ticino Lifestyle-Tech Competence Center. As a member of the jury, I was able to see the immense potential development offered by this world in the making. It is a future reality that we must look at with optimism. The same optimism that characterised Virgil Abloh and of which Samuel Ross, an ultra-talented English designer I met recently, said: "His work was a constant dialogue between optimism, grace and intelligence. He offered a societal perspective on how design can be used as an instrument of change and how luxury can really play an inspirational and valuable role."