End. The Ten: Nike X Virgil Abloh London Pop-Up
Images courtesy of End.
Let’s roll back a couple of years to Nike x Virgil’s "Retail" Experience the generation-defining collaboration.
Back in 2017 Nike's official partner END. transformed Kachette in Shoreditch, London, into an immersive gallery space “for the generation-defining collaboration”. The pop-up activation displayed each classic silhouette 'The Ten', telling the story of Nike x Virgil Abloh and each inimitable reconstruction.
The pop-up activation took place over 10 days at the venue in Old Street and showcased 10 of the iconic Nike designs by Virgil Abloh. It took over a year to create the "generation-defining" brand partnership and saw Zoomfly and Vapormax raffle winners arriving at the official Shoreditch collection point to cop their sneakers. The event left guests with a lasting impression and a deeper connection to the brands narrative.
"Discover 'The Ten' through an exhibition that brings the past, the present, and future of each icon to life. From their foundation to their current expression, every piece of footwear tells its own story at the heart of design, performance & community". - Nike -
Visitors took the opportunity to take in the exhibition space and to familiarise themselves with the story of each silhouette's journey from conception to realisation of Abloh's vision.
But where did it all start?
Virgil Abloh's association with Nike began long before he visited the company's headquarters in October 2016.
Virgil recalls designing prototype sneakers and mailing them to Nike as a teenager in Illinois, far from the premium-sneaker-beaten-path he now finds himself a guardian of.
Even though the path was unclear at the time, the intention had been in place for decades. The brand partnership is the realisation of a life-long vision for Virgil Abloh.
