A brand new ebook paperwork Virgil Abloh's partnership with Nike
All images courtesy of the Zak Group by Prudence Cuming
From 2017, Virgil Abloh worked with Nike on a redesigned shoe collection with ten of his characteristic silhouettes under the banner of his cult fashion label Off-White. Abloh deconstructed, rearranged, and rearranged elements of each design, introducing details closely associated with Abloh and, more broadly, Off-White – most noticeably the foreground of the type, often enclosed in quotation marks.
The get-together of two brand giants, the front row – known as The Ten – was expected to sell out in no time and spawned follow-up action over the next few years.
Icons, a new book by Taschen, takes a closer look at the project. The altered Swoosh on the cover sets a precedent for what's inside (Abloh was no stranger to tinkering with the logo during the project). The book aims to provide a holistic view of collaboration, including prototypes and messages that are shared back and forth and contextualized by the history, evolution, and key players of sneaker culture – from the objects and materials to the people and theirs Ideas.
The book pays special attention to Abloh's process-driven and DIY approach to the project, including the Zak Group's layout design, which is based on the “DIY industrial aesthetics of the ten”. While Abloh is known for providing insights into his creative process on social media, the designer promised the book contains a wealth of images that didn't make it onto the internet.
"The basis of my practice is nowhere near the end result – it is (rigor) and process of logic. The archive is the paper trail of these artifacts," Abloh said. "The Icons book is in some ways the only insightful lens that understands that the catalog of over 50 Nike shoes I've designed is "a shoe" in my head. A story. "
Abloh, who is also the artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton as well as a DJ and trained architect, is known for his cross-referencing – which at times earned him skepticism in the industry, but formed the basis for a project of this kind. Whether people are indifferent, reverential, or in search of Abloh's brand of fashion design (or the culture surrounding coaches), the iconography he has built is undeniable – second only to Nike for some.
Icons is published by Taschen and will be available from January 22nd and February 5th at select retailers worldwide. You can find a number of black-owned bookstores and indie bookstores selling the book. taschen.com