ibrahim Kamara off-white

Who is Ibrahim Kamara, the art and image director at Off-White?

A portrait of the man who successfully succeeds the late Virgil Abloh at Off-White. Get to know Ibrahim Kamara, editor-in-chief at DAZED and art and image director at Off-White, the creative know-it-all who receives praise.
Cover image: courtesy of Off-White, shot by German Larkin

Also, read: Off-White fall/winter 2023 – Ibrahim Kamara continues Virgil Abloh’s legacy

Ibrahim Kamara

Ibrahim Kamara isn’t a new kid in the scene. As the editor-in-chief of DAZED Magazine, he knows the fashion industry like no other. Working as a stylist with the likes of Stella McCartney, Burberry, Dior, and Virgil Abloh, he continues challenging the fashion industry’s conventions, including those of masculinity. Always keeping his African heritage in sight, Kamara vanishes the world’s boundaries within his work. In 2018, he joined i-D as a fashion editor at large but soon got promoted to senior fashion editor at large for the magazine. In January 2021, he was named the new editor-in-chief of DAZED Magazine. After the sudden death of Virgil Abloh in November 2021, Kamara succeeded him as the new art and image director at Off-White, building on the legacy Virgil left behind. Kamara wasn’t new to the brand; he oversaw Off-White’s styling during fashion weeks. Kamara’s fall/winter 2023 collection for Off-White, “LUNAR DELIVERY,” was received with favorable reviews.

Background

Ibrahim Kamara was born in Sierra Leone and grew up in Gambia till he was 11 years old. Moving to London at that age changed his life, and after high school, he was admitted to Central Saint Martins immediately. His project “2026” explored the boundaries of black masculinity, which was exhibited at Somerset House. For the exhibition, he upcycled old clothes, which he dumpster-dived in the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. This way of working typifies his signature. Borrowing influences from predominantly African subcultures make his work stand out. With originality, creativity, and a sense of activism at the core of what he does, Ibrahim Kamara has become a household name within the fashion industry and beyond.