TASCHEN To Release 'ICONS,' Retrospective Book Dedicated to Virgil Abloh x Nike
A deep dive into the duo’s collaborations, including the 2017 “The Ten” collection.
Virgil Abloh and Nike have worked together over the years to release some of the most hyped footwear in history, including “The Ten” collection back in 2017. Now, the duo is celebrating its longtime partnership with ICONS, a retrospective book published by TASCHEN.
The upcoming release takes a deep dive into Abloh’s creative process by digging up Nike’s archives, including iconic styles such as the Air Force 1s. Fans will also be able to discover the story behind the designer and Off-White™‘s signature quotation marks.
“The foundation of my practice isn’t nearly the end result — it’s rigor and process of the logic. The archive is the paper trail of those artifacts,” the creative shares in a press release. “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.”
The book will feature written texts from Hiroshi Fujiwara, as well as writer Troy Patterson and curator Glenn Adamson. The second half of the volume is dedicated to exploring the sneaker culture and related people, places, objects, ideas, materials and expressions.
ICONS is set to see an initial early release at Black-owned bookshops and select independent retailers to support local businesses. Later on, the book will drop on January 22 via Nike SNKRS in North America, and Off-White™ and Canary Yellow‘s stores. TASCHEN’s web shop and global retailers will stock ICONS for a global release scheduled for February 5.
