By approaching each practice in a holistic way and considering them as one, it’s easier to navigate. I don’t think of them as separate components but rather focus on the end goal. When Nike initially teamed up with Virgil Abloh to release “The Ten”, they took the world by storm. Capturing the minds of fans everywhere, they have since become one of the most prominent collaborative powerhouses in fashion history. From shoes & clothes, to art & music, Nike & Virgil team up to now bring us ICONS “Something’s Off”. A part of the biggest gesture of that whole story cycle is this: don’t judge a book by its cover,” says Abloh. On discussing how the Nike swoosh on the book cover is ‘different’ from how most people recognize it, Abloh dives into why that is. “The book is called ‘ICONS’ but what’s on the cover is, to me, a gesture in itself that ‘something is off.’ The swoosh itself looks like something is off but it’s like this off-kilterness. There’s a lot of nuance in something as simple as the title and cover, and that to me, enters the world as an output. It has to have those layers to it.” Design in the Digital Space How do you apply Afrocentrism to fashion photography? Can it be seen as the primary vehicle for promoting messages of inclusivity and cultural appreciation? Carlo Bevilacqua, a photographer renowned for his socio-anthropological research, presents a selection of shots taken from his projects over the past five years in various parts of the world. These projects have materialized into two wonderful photographic books: “Utopia, dreaming the impossible” and “Into the silence, Eremiti del terzo millennio.” Bevilacqua’s work explores contemporary utopian communities worldwide, focusing on alternative, spiritual, artistic, hippie, and environmental communities. He seeks to define the meaning of “utopia” in the present era and documents how these communities have dealt with the pressure of dominant culture. Another significant theme in his work is the narration of Queer communities, particularly relevant in India, Mexico, and among Native North Americans. Keila Guilarte, Domino La Habana A Journey Between Morocco and Cuba by Keila Guilarte

Bringing together all the greats—from Air Jordan 1 to Air Presto—Nike and Virgil Abloh reinvent sneaker culturewith the collaborative project The Ten and redesign 10 sneaker icons. Experience engineering ingenuity and Abloh’s investigative design process: each shoe is a piece of industrial design, a readymade sculpture, and a wearable all at once. Keila Guilarte‘s photographs come from a visual reportage conducted between Cuba and Morocco from 2017 to today. Guilarte, who has always explored issues of identity and social belonging, presents artistic images capturing the daily life and beauty of people and places in Maghreb communities. Strong and contrasting lights, colors, and shadows take center stage in these shots, narrating the identity of a people. Simultaneously, there are images depicting Cuban life, connected to the photographer’s photographic memory and childhood. The exhibited photographs, part of her first book “Mi Tierra,” discreetly lead the viewer into the daily intimacy of the Cuban community and the inexhaustible energy of its people, who maintain their identity despite profound and painful cultural changes. Gianluigi Di Napoli, Cirque Du Soleil The Circus World Through Gianluigi Di Napoli’s Eyes ICONS traces Abloh's investigative, creative process through documentation of the prototypes, original text messages from Abloh to Nike designers, and treasures from the Nike archives. We find Swooshes sliced away from Air Jordans and reapplied with tape or thread, Abloh's typical text fragments in quotation marks on Air Force 1, and All Stars cut into pieces. We take a look behind the scenes and witness Abloh's DIY approach, which gave each model in the Off-WhiteTM c/o Nike collection its own unique touch. His deconstructive vocabulary is reflected in the Swiss binding, which showcases an open spine and discloses the production of the book. The depth that this book goes into paints a beautiful picture of why this collaboration was and is so revered. We can’t wait to get our hands on it and see it add to our ever-growing appreciation of the pair. Zak Group, who have done the art direction & designing, have truly produced a masterpiece showcasing a historic collaboration’s development.

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From his most famous label Off White to his collabs with Nike, and working with some of the biggest luxury fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, he had a big influence over both street wear and high end fashion. It is interesting to me for a few reasons. The first is all of the trainers! It’s so cool to see all of them. The second is the design of the ads and the marketing. I love looking at things like this, it gives me ideas and inspiration for doing my own things with the blog and other design projects. In the event of a potential manufacturing fault we reserve the right to return the item to the manufacturer for further assessment. Icons traces Abloh’s investigative, creative process through documentation of the prototypes, original text messages from Abloh to Nike designers, and treasures from the Nike archives. We find Swooshes sliced away from Air Jordans and reapplied with tape or thread, Abloh’s typical text fragments in quotation marks on Air Force 1, and All Stars cut into pieces. We take a look behind the scenes and witness Abloh’s DIY approach, which gives each model in the Off-WhiteTM c/o Nike collection its own unique touch. Designs are most definitely becoming increasingly digital. Whether that’s thanks to COVID, or the art of archiving one’s work, it’s pretty much essential to every artist. With mass technology consuming our world, it can be especially challenging for artists. Putting their work out there is one thing, but for it to stand out amongst all the other noise is truly a challenge.

I love to see what big brands have done with marketing, design and ads. I have always found it really interesting, even more so when it’s a topic or subject I really like. Underpinned by The Ten, ICONSexplores how the partnership works to unifyall the intangible cultural threads connected to sneakers. The book traces Abloh’s investigative, creative process through documentation of prototypes, original text messages from Abloh to Nike designersand treasures from the Nike archives.In an era characterized by the uncontrollable proliferation of digital images, selfies, and the widespread use of filters that distort the perception of the contemporary world, photographer Federico Hurth captures an authentic portrait of youth, but one that is burnt out. His project, titled Wasted Youth, is a true reportage, or as Federico himself describes it, « a personal photographic diary in which I collect snapshots of carefree moments.» His strictly analog shots depict faces, bodies, and situations, always following « a damned, fashionable, artistic, musical aesthetic.» In Federico Hurth’s shots, the melancholy and inner rebellion of a generation emerge. Some of the shots from the project, which Federico has been working on since 2021, will be exhibited at the Doppia V Gallery in Lugano from October 20th to November 17th, in an exhibition curated by Francesca Bernasconi. Gianluigi Di Napoli captures the authenticity of the circus world in an intense visual journey under the big tent, known as “lo chapiteau.” His photographs tell the ritual of the show and the importance of the body’s identity within the circus community. The circus is a world with a strong identity and belonging, where artists share spaces, jargon, emotions, and common memories. The artist has worked on this theme for over ten years, resulting in photographic books such as “Circus Life – Everynight, all around the World” and “A Poet in Action, David Larible.” In his latest project, “Nel cuore di Saltimbanco. Viaggio sotto la pelle del Cirque du Soleil,” he documents the evolution of traditional circus and the spectacular entry of artists into the world of Cirque du Soleil. Carlo Bevilacqua, Victor in his house wearing traditional clothes Keila Guilarte Keila Guilarte Gianluigi Di Napoli Gianluigi Di Napoli This type of thinking is ahead of its time as one can always produce different types of shoes, with one product only barely differing from its predecessor. But to completely reinvent a concept or an idea is what makes bigger, much more noticeable waves. Something that hasn’t really been done before is bound to capture people’s attention. Sneakers—High Society? In conclusion, quoting the words of curator Francesca Bernasconi, «Federico Hurth’s photographs are characterized by an intriguing immediacy and an instinctive and decisive formal exploration, strongly linked to the revolutionary aesthetics that emerged in the 1990s through the work of a generation of photographers, often, like Hurth, straddling the worlds of fashion and alternative artistic scenes.» In 2016, sportswear manufacturer Nike and fashion designer Virgil Abloh joined forces to create a sneaker collection celebrating 10 of the Oregon-based company’s most iconic shoes. With their project The Ten—which reimagines icons like Air Jordan 1, Air Max 90, Air Force 1, and Air Presto, among others—they reinvigorated sneaker culture.