4 September 2019

Virgil Abloh presents new Off-White™ bags exclusively designed for MCA Chicago pop-up store 'Church & State'

The 'Caravaggio Bag' is one of three Off-White™ bags exclusively designed for the MCA Chicago on occasion of the running exhibition 'Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech', extended to 29 September. (Fashion.at article on occasion of the preview of the catalogue.)

The Caravaggio handbag shows Caravaggio's 'The Entombment of Christ' (created 1603) displayed at the 'Culture Wall' of the exhibition. It's available in limited edition of six at the 'Church & State' pop-up store on the fourth floor of the museum. The store is designed by Abloh and his team. At the walls, images by German fashion photographer Juergen Teller are on view such as below showing a street scenery with designer Virgil Abloh.

The bags are described at the press release as "...opportunity to literally wear the art from the exhibition." It's not explicitly mentioned but some might interpret the ready-to-wear art as statement against fast fashion (inclusively exploitation or unfair trade), against irresponsible consumerism (keyword: waste) set into a store, a representative of 'temples' where people's values are formed. Well, it's a store in a museum and free associations are influenced by the context...

fig.: Caravaggio Bag, dimensions 7.25" W x 3.5" D x 6" H. 100% leather exterior, 100% viscose interior. Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago. Below: Virgil Abloh × MCA pop-up store, "Church & State," MCA Chicago. Photo: Peter McCullough, © MCA Chicago.