By Dara Clariza Evangelista
For Spring/Summer 2026, Off-White returned to New York Fashion Week with IB Kamara staging “Pop Romance” on the roof of the New Design High School, a venue already rich with youthful energy and city grit. Local graffiti artists tagged the walls as a tribute to the five boroughs, setting the tone for a collection that felt as much like an art show, or a block party, as it did a runway presentation.
Kamara, who continues to evolve Off-White’s language in the wake of Virgil Abloh’s legacy, tapped into what he calls a “merge of my time here and me.” Where Abloh once declared streetwear dead, Kamara insists on its vitality, folding in sport, biker, and West African codes alongside the NYC uniform. The silhouettes were fast and playful: body-skimming leggings, sheer knits with bold color blocking, and slashed dresses paired with utility belt bags. The tailoring came alive with visible topstitching and structural lines in army green, while Swarovski-crystal studded collars and embellished epaulets elevated the pieces with a romantic shine.
Swarovski’s role was crucial this season. Their crystals were worked into the clothes not just as decorative sparkles but as architectural detail: a studded white jacket collar, mesh tops flickering with subtle stones, and even jewel-encrusted headpieces. It’s a continuation of Kamara’s knack for blending street-coded wear with couture-level detailing, creating garments that shimmer under the lights without losing their grit.
The collection, aptly titled Pop Romance, balanced toughness and glamour, graffiti and crystal, mesh and satin. It was also a nod to youth, both the high school students who watched from the cafeteria windows and the young Black pioneers who gave the world graffiti, streetwear, and hip-hop. Music from Kamara, Azekel, Erik Bodin, and Yukimi Nagano scored the show, ending on a quiet yet mesmerizing track that felt like the finale to a block party in the sky.
With Swarovski’s sparkle and Kamara’s sharp direction, Off-White SS26 didn’t just show clothes, it offered a love letter to New York’s endless ability to remix, reframe, and reimagine what fashion can be.
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Miss Jay-Ann is on the cover of STYLISH Magazine’s special Women In Style cover edition as she talks about her business, vlogging, and her luxury bag collection — from Chanel to Hermès.
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