New York Expo: Virgil Abloh’s latest creations will be exhibited to the public at the New York Expo
Opening Saturday and running through the end of May, the show will showcase 47 custom Nike “Air Force 1” sneakers designed by Abloh and assembled at Louis Vuitton’s Venice manufacturing facility.
A revolutionary fashion figure who became Louis Vuitton’s first Black
director, Abloh died in November at the age of 41 from a rare form of cancer.
A close collaborator of Kanye West, Abloh brought streetwear and a less elitist approach to the world of luxury.
The exhibit comes after a Sotheby’s auction in February raised $25 million from the sale of some 200 Abloh Air Force One sneakers for a scholarship fund established in Abloh’s honor. to support budding designers of Black, African American or African descent.
Each of the sneakers contains the famous Nike swoosh in compositions across the color palette, with some also featuring custom details such as the Ghana flag, a tribute to Abloh’s heritage.
Another shoe contains the phrase “tourist versus purist”, an “ablohism” that the designer used to describe the relationship in art and culture between the expert/specialist (purist) and the general public
