A few weeks ago I was out and happened to find these two books: Something’s Off by Virgil Abloh and Soled Out by Sneaker Freaker. Jarvis asks why the book was made in physical form and not just a zine or other online platform. This is when Kyes responds, “also why now, because 2020 is the year our lives moved completely online? For those that think of the death of the book, 2020 should really be the nail on that coffin. But not everything is online, and the physical objects still have power, and books are just that, I think.” Glenn Adamson is an author and historian whose focus is primarily on the intersections of designs and art. He carries the title of editor, head researcher and curator at various establishments. Zak Kyes is a creative director who works on digital projects and design platforms with collaborators. Shaniqwa Jarvis is an accomplished photographer who has advertised campaigns for NIKE, Adidas, and Supreme. What is “ICONS”? Within ICONS, readers will find Swooshes sliced away from Air Jordans and reapplied with tape or thread, Abloh’s quotation marks trialed on Nike Air Force 1sand Converse All Stars cut into pieces. The effect is abehind-the-scenes witness to The Ten’s DIY approach, which gives each model in the Off-White™c/o Nike collection its own unique touch. "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," says 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."

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 GuilarteWhen 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”. 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. Adamson explains how medieval society was structured by religious foundations. He then mentions how in today’s society, we are far more secular than before, and we need something to fill that space. “It’s powerful human stuff, what it was for people thousands of years ago who built their faith in god,” Adamson continues. “And when a lot of us don’t have that, what do we put? We put speakers as an icon. It has to do with finding your way as a human in the world.” I had seen both books online but when I was out I wasn’t shopping for them, and came across them both by chance. I was thinking about getting them for a few weeks, and decided that I’d go out and get them.

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.Federico Hurth’s photographs are devoid of any post-production manipulation, « if a photo has a flaw, I keep it that way. Precisely to maximize the authenticity of the moment,» the photographer tells us. Wasted Youth offers a glimpse into fragments of youthful lives lived intensely but, at the same time, in a way that may seem “wasted,” in line with the title of his project. The aesthetic, which oscillates between the glitter of glamour and the darkness of decay, reflects the complexity and uncertainty that the contemporary context offers to young people, who are at the mercy of looming precariousness. Abloh discusses how growing up as a kid in Southside Chicago as a sneaker fan, he never imagined being a producer since he was a consumer. But that reality changed, and he wanted to make that apparent in his book. 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