Who is Ib Kamara? Meet the designer who took up the mantle after Virgil Abloh

After almost six months of Virgil Abloh's passing, Off-White is continuing his legacy by appointing Ib Kamara as the art and image director of the brand.

Off-White announced Ib Kamara's appointment through an Instagram post from their official handle on April 30, 2022. The company further elaborated on the relationship between Ibrahim and late Virgil Abloh.

In a press release, Andrea Grilli, Off-White's CEO, commented upon her views regarding the newest partnership:

“Having Ibrahim on board, who has been part of the Off-White family for years styling our shows, to oversee art and creative of the brand in this next chapter is a great honor. With his talent and vision we look forward to taking on the next chapter of Off-White together, always remembering the groundbreaking creativity and values that Virgil had at heart and that are the core of our brand."

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All about Ib Kamara, Art & Image Director at Off-White

Ibrahim Kamara, famously known as Ib Kamara or I.B., was born in Sierra Leone in 1990. He spent three years focusing on studying to become a doctor as per his parents' preferences. But soon, he decided to go on a different route and chose fashion as a career option. Thus, he settled in London at the age of 16.

He studied fashion communication at Central Saint Martins and took on an art & design course at Westminster Kingsway college. He also has dyslexia, which he openly talks about in interviews.

Kamara's approach to fashion is based upon gender fluidity, identity, queerness, and exploration. He also uses his ideas to express Blackness and African identity.

Kamara started his career in fashion as an assistant stylist under Barry Kamen. The Sierra Leone-native was first recognized for his talents in 2016, after he curated an exhibition titled 2026 in London, which focused on the theme of African masculinity.

It was then that he was introduced to Robbie Spencer of Dazed, who gave Kamara his fashion editorial in the magazine. As a stylist and journalist, he was popular with the late Virgil Abloh. The latter saw a version of himself in Kamara and said he was a prime example of how "diversity" can bring out the best of the fashion industry.

London-based Kamara is not just a big fashion name, he is also known for his journalistic career. He is the editor-in-chief of the magazine Dazed and has served as the fashion editor-at-large for i-D.

He has worked for and across many fashion giants and labels, including Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Lorenzo Serafini, Erdem, and more. Kamara was previously awarded the Isabelle Blow Award at the British Fashion Council's The Fashion Awards.