New Off-White rumours
Fans of the Off-White x Nike collaboration have lived through the much publicised “End of the 10 Collection”, and many had speculated we would seldom see Virgil Abloh work on a Nike silhouette again – with most sighting his new role at Louis Vuitton as a significant factor in this prediction. The best don’t sleep, however, and Virgil may be done with ‘The 10’, but there is no indication that his work with the Swoosh is over. This will come as music to the ears of all that love the Off-White brand and will come at a crucial time for Nike, as 2019 has very much begun as a big year for Yeezy, with a stacked output with some of the cleanest designs Ye has dropped for a long time.
First look at the Off-White x Air Force 1 ‘MCA’
Not to be outdone by his long term friend and creative peer, Virgil Abloh looks to extend his Nike catalogue and deepen his already illustrious portfolio to once again compete with Adidas’ leading man. The book may have been closed on ‘The 10’, but if the circulating rumours are anything to go by, the formula for success appears mostly unchanged. With the strongest whispers gathering steam across the worldwide web see another assortment of classic Nike silhouettes being given the signature Off-White treatment. The one we are expecting to see the soonest that has been teased for a little while now is a welcome addition to the Air Force 1 family. In much the same way the Off-White x Air Force 1 ‘Volt’ featured a welcome hit of colour to the overarching collection, the highly anticipated Off-White x Air Force 1 MCA looks to do the same. Except this time replacing an all over electric yellow with a one tone bright university blue and rumoured as a collaboration between Virgil and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Although a release date for this model is yet to be set in stone, most news outlets and sources alike have projected early June as its likely launch, and I for one welcome its arrival with open arms.
Virgil Abloh drops Off-White x Nike SB tease via Instagram
Virgil has become a specialist in adaptation, reworking preexisting models and elevating them to an entirely different level both technically and aesthetically. His recent work with Evian a prime example of his versatility, and the esteem in which he is held in terms of his ability to change things. He takes what is already there and somehow turns it into something unmistakable as his own, without losing sight of what it began as. His creative signature has bled into his work with IKEA and is very apparent across his whole footwear collection. So with Nike what he has found it a perfect fit, the Off-White DNA has already been proven to be successfully spliced throughout 10 of Nike’s most iconic silhouettes, but what Nike isn’t short of, is source material for Abloh to work with. Which brings up neatly to the next of the potential shoes to find its way into production in 2019. Just as Virgil teased us all with a photo of him reppin’ his blue Air Force 1s he’s also been snapped in a white and orange pair of Nike Dunk Lows and many sources suggest the creative is working on not 1, not 2, but 3 colourways for an Off-White take on the classic skateboard shoe. This news shouldn’t come as much of a surprise and Virgil is a notable fan of the model, with his previously being caught in a pair of “Michigan” Dunk Highs from the “Be True To Your School” pack and “Viotech” Dunk Low in the past on social media.
Virgil Abloh debuts new Off-White x Nike shoe at Coachella
The biggest tease from the recent Coachella weekend came courtesy of perennial teaser Virgil Abloh who took the opportunity to show off what could be in store for the next chapter of his Off-White x Nike collaboration. Prototypes of the womens running shoes were first observed at Paris Fashion Week on the runway of the Off-White women’s Spring/Summer 2019 runway last year, as part of the track and field inspired collection. It was Virgil himself however who this time showed off the progress the model has made, and the pair he wore repped this previous weekend at Coachella look to be an entirely new model, although the tongue is quite similar to the Nike Air Presto model as of recent. As shown, the design features a black base, reflective Swooshes, branded lacing, green zip tie and the traditional location branding on the side. Perhaps the clear standout is the pink rubber soles sporting exaggerated traction grips, a feature which nods to the track and field elements of the SS19 Womens collection. Information about the shoes is limited, and no release date has been so much as mentioned, but all we know is that Virgil was wearing them, and he wouldn’t be wearing them for no reason.
Off-White x Nike 2019
Ye may have been quick off the blocks in 2019, but make no mistake about it, in the footwear game, it’s not how you start the year, but it’s how you end it, and if the rumours are right, it won’t be long until Virgil Abloh gets within a length or two of his friend Kanye once again. What can’t be criticised, however, is Abloh’s work rate, his versatile portfolio, and constant drive for success. Juggling a debut menswear collection with Louis Vuitton, a market leading Nike collection, among numerous other cameo collaborations has unmistakably cemented himself as one of the hottest designers on the planet earth, and to buy and sell his whole Off-White collection and so much more head over to Laced.