How I acquired right here: Zak Kyes
When your design practice includes facilitating the vision of creative leaders, at some point the parameters shift to show that you are creating the culture yourself.
In 2005, the Swiss-American designer and creative director Zak Kyes founded his eponymous design studio Zak Group. During his tenure, the studio led projects for a remarkable mix of characters and institutions at the forefront of creativity.
Zak Group has done beautiful work on the print side, from the supple, hand-warped treatment for Frank Ocean's coveted Boys Don't Cry-zine to the art direction and identity of the recently relaunched Fact Magazine, the the focus of the publication gives shape to long-form, art-guided functions. That year also saw the release of the studio's work on Icons, a Taschen-released band that explores Virgil Abloh's partnership with Nike through the lens of sneaker culture.
The studio has also worked on site-specific projects, such as the exhibition design for White Cube and the design museum's Beazley Designs of the Year show, which inevitably had to take a back seat in the pandemic. During this time, Kyes' “Culture Is Not Canceled” manifesto was well received by the creative industry and launched a campaign in AnOther magazine to celebrate creative projects in these troubled times.
After the icons were released, we talk to Kyes about how architecture influences his work, what projects and insights have brought him where he is today, and how he had to adapt like no other for a year.