The ‘ICONS’ Book is the Ultimate Virgil Abloh x Nike Retrospective
Photo by Prudence Cumming, courtesy Zak Group
Photo by Prudence Cumming, courtesy Zak Group
Photo by Prudence Cumming, courtesy Zak Group
Photo by Prudence Cumming, courtesy Zak Group
Photo by Prudence Cumming, courtesy Zak Group
Photo by Prudence Cumming, courtesy Zak Group
Photo by Prudence Cumming, courtesy Zak Group
latest work, titled ICONS, is a hardcover book that ambitiously archives the extensive output between the collaborator extraordinaire and . This is perhaps the ultimate retrospective of the expansive body of work created between the two powerhouses, which began with memorable ‘The Ten’ back in 2017.
Their overarching collaborative output has multiplied into over 50 colourways and models in the years since. ICONS offers behind-the-scenes looks at the DIY process and inspirations behind ‘The Ten’, plus a comprehensive lexicon of Abloh’s total Nike and efforts.
‘The archive is the paper trail of those artifacts,’ said Abloh. ‘The ICONS book is, in a way, the only revealing lens to understand that the catalog of the 50-plus Nike shoes I have designed are in my mind “one shoe”. One story.’
As a stickler for hands-on archiving, Abloh oversaw this book with contributions from , Troy Patterson, and Glenn Adamson. Zak Group handled the art direction and design, while TASCHEN were responsible for publishing the tome.
ICONS will officially release in North America on January 22 via Nike SNKRS, alongside the Off-White webstore and Canary Yellow. A wider global release is scheduled for February 5 via TASCHEN and global stockists.
Abloh has also revealed a list of Black-owned and independent bookstores that will release the book early starting from January 12 in the Instagram post below.