Future legacy: the power of V
‘My generation is the continuation of what Virgil did.’ In our latest collaboration with Kaleidoscope magazine, Parisian photographer Djiby Kebe and Dayanne — co-founder of Bienvenue Projects, a consultancy studio that worked regularly with Virgil Abloh — reflect on the late, great designer’s legacy and wear pieces from Off-White’s new spring collection.
‘Everything we do will be inspired by him’
Djiby: ‘I think my generation is the continuity of what Virgil did at the beginning of the 2000s, 2010s, 2020s. He really built our world. He shaped it, and I think that he left something to us and we will continue with everything he did. For me, he's not gone. He's still with us. He's still with me. I'm Virgil. We're all Virgil. Everything we're going to do will be inspired by him. Everything he did was inspired by the people he looked up to when he was younger.'
Dayanne: ‘I hope the next generation of creatives will be evermore responsive and awake, feeling the courage of their own connections. You never know what life brings you and there’s always so much happening.’
‘The game has been changed forever’
Djiby: ‘Virgil influenced me every day because I was watching every move he made. And it was surprising to see that someone can do everything, and in the best way. It was a real example of what a man can do in his life. Also V was always spreading good energy — at his position, he was still the coolest guy ever, and still trying to teach young people how to achieve their dreams. He also influenced me a lot because he was West African, like me. It's crazy to see a Black man like him creating all these spaces, involving all these people, creating all this art. He did something serious for young Black people in the art industry, in the fashion industry. That's something that we will never forget — he changed the game forever.’
The future generation
Dayanne: 'I think that my generation is really responsive and awake, empowered by their own connections, and I hope the next wave of creatives will have even more courage. Life is so unpredictable, you have to be ready for everything.’
Djiby: ‘For the next generation, I would love to teach these kids what Virgil taught me. Virgil was inspired by so many people and he gave his knowledge to us, and I want to give it to all the young people in the future. It's a transmission of knowledge.’
Worlds collide
Djiby: ‘Virgil was interested in a project I did at school about the relationship between people from the suburbs, from the neighborhood of Paris, and the fashion industry. It was personal because I grew up with the idea that I was supposed to wear [designer brands]. When you dress well, people don't look at you the same way that they did before.’
The gift of curiosity
Djiby: ‘When Virgil came to Paris in September I had been in Mali, my parents’ country. And he was asking how my trip went, how my grandma was, how my family was doing, how the country was, what I saw, what I liked there. I'm 21 years old, and I have never met anyone as curious as Virgil. He was always asking questions. He always wanted to learn about you, about the world. And that's something that really, really touched my life and I will never forget.’