The Off-White Zip Tie Is More Than Just an Accessory

"For me, design is about whatever I find is worthy to tell a story about." stated Virgil Abloh in a 2019 interview with Vogue. The late Off-White founder and Louis Vuitton designer was famous for many things. From his love of deconstruction to his quoted text, while he was only with us for a mere 41 years, his legacy will live on for centuries. When it comes to his signature industrial design language, one of the most controversial elements has got to be the Off-White zip tie - and we're here to tell you why it's way more than just a simple accessory.

Founded back in 2012 as "PYREX VISION", Abloh rebranded his company to Off-White, describing it as "the grey area between black and white". While the label's collections were showcased at Paris Fashion Week and sold in retail stores across Hong Kong, Tokyo, Milan, London, and New York, it didn't really hit the mainstream until 2017 when Nike approached Virgil for "THE TEN".

Reimagining ten of the most iconic Swoosh silhouettes ever made including the Air Jordan 1 and the Air Force 1, the range would go on to spawn a deconstructed dynasty which included hundreds of silhouettes and colourways. With that said, people have always questioned the real reason behind the Off-White zip tie.

Even though Virgil founded Off-White back in 2012, it wasn't until 2016 that he first started applying the red zip tie to his collections. That year, the brand filed a trademark application for it. This was denied in 2018 by examining attorney Linda M. Estrada who stated that they are utility items, citing "functional matter cannot be protected as a trademark." The colour red was also up for much debate as it was apparently "not inherently distinctive."

Off-White then countered, arguing that zip ties are not strictly functional as they're "neither absolutely necessary nor indispensable to the purpose of products." The Milan-based company followed up in late-2020 stating, "The Examining Attorney has provided no evidence that any other fashion brand does use, or has ever used, a red zip tie in this manner. Granting a registration for Applicant’s Mark would not put competitor fashion brands at a disadvantage, except that it would prevent competitors from trading on the significant reputation of Applicant."

Now, a whole six years after Off-White originally attempted to trademark it, the red zip tie's application finally passed on March 29th. This is a massive win for the brand, and to celebrate this momentous occasion, we're going to take you through why this little piece of plastic is actually so much more.

Before his rise to fashion superstardom, Abloh actually trained to be an architect at the Illinois Institute of Technology. If you take a step back and analyse his collections, especially his early ones, you'll start to realise some very obvious references to art and design, taking inspiration from his days in IIT. During 2013, Virgil played around with Baroque paintings especially those by Caravaggio. "The Entombment of Christ" was spotted on early apparel designs, and famously, Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" became the face of various streetwear capsules throughout this era.

Heading towards a more Modernist movement, the Off-White designer also mentioned that his collections were greatly inspired by Bauhaus, more specifically, the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The German-American architect's teachings would play a huge role in creating Virgil's signature language, including the legendary zip tie that we all love to hate and hate to love. Around the early 1900s, Mies van der Rohe coined the phrase "less is more", which continues to trickle into Off-White's releases even to this day. In fact, the very first OW collection actually took inspiration from Ludwig's floating glass home, Farnsworth House.

In 2019, Twitter user @sononthemoon posted the above Tweet, tagging Off-White and Virgil Abloh in the process. Out of the blue, the Louis Vuitton designer would Quote Tweet it, stating, "the ultimate idea was that all those extra laces and the zip-ties go to use with all your other pairs of shoes to DIY make your own versions of Off-White™ sneakers."

This response was unexpected, but expected at the same time. Abloh has always been an advocate for creativity, and if this was indeed his original intention, it's a really cool way to just create your own Off-White sneakers, especially if you can't afford some of the extortionate resale price tags. It's worth noting that the zip tie isn't limited to just "THE TEN". Used in OW's core line as well as other collaborations like the one with Timberland, essentially anything can be an Off-White shoe as long as you have the right accessories to go with it.

"To cut, or not to cut?" When it comes to the Off-White zip tie, that is the question. The zip tie certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea. With that said, if you're planning on snipping it off then the overall resale value will drop pretty dramatically.

Whether or not Virgil planned for this is another question, but maybe he wanted sneakerheads to be more aware of consumerism and only buy things that they plan on wearing, rather than selling. In fact, Off-White posted a "tutorial" on Instagram on what you're actually supposed to do with its zip tie tag. The video shows that you're simply meant to "CUT THE TIE" and "LEAVE IT ALONE". Whether or not you intend on doing that is entirely up to you.

Off-White's latest trademark is a huge victory, not only for the brand, but also for creativity as a whole. While it's sad that Virgil Abloh never lived to see this day, his story will forever be told through those bold red zip ties. So whether you keep them on, snip them off, or put them on display, always remember that that little piece of plastic changed the fashion world forever.