Clocking in at over 352 pages, the book traces the creative history of these designs, taking the reader through the process for each model from concept to prototype to finished product. Aiming to give a holistic overview of the collaboration,
ICONS also includes original text messages between Abloh and Nike designers as well as raw material from the Nike archives, all contextualised within the history of sneaker culture.
“Virgil Abloh elevates sneakers into the realm of visual culture where they become cultural objects,” says Zak Kyes, founder of London-based studio Zak Group which partnered with Abloh for the design of the book. Kyes, who shares a background in architecture with Abloh, was introduced to the designer through mutual friends and the two first started talking about the book at the end of 2018.
Maison Margiela Tabis by Ying Chang
Ying Chang, a contemporary London-based artist who describes her work as ‘anti-throw away’, coated each Tabi in thick layers of silicon. After peeling away the layers in a bid to symbolise the ‘Tabi’s journey of transformation’, the result of her process is akin to a snake emerging from its shredded skin.
Similarly, Pattern Chineso, a Chinese art collective based in Spain, also wanted to explore the idea of a ‘second skin’. Inspired by the way teenagers protect their trainers by wrapping them in specially designed bags, the collective moulded discarded plastic found in local corner shop bins over the Tabi’s and spray painted them in various patterns.
What to Watch on Cable and Streaming Instead of the Super Bowl
Mónica Marie Zorrilla, provided by
Feb. 7, 2021
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Not even remotely interested in seeing Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes or The Weeknd do their thing at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium?
We’ve got you. Instead of watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs go helmet-to-helmet for a shiny Vince Lombardi, head to these platforms and channels to get your Sunday evening fix of series and flicks.
More from Variety
Streaming Alternatives
Shows: “Kid Cosmic,” “Firefly Lane,” “Hache” (Season 2), “Invisible City,” “The Sinner” (Season 3)
Films: “The Bank Job,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Zathura: A Space Adventure,” “Shutter Island,” “The Patriot,” “Little Big Women,” “Space Sweepers,” “Strip Down, Rise Up,” “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity”