Culture

END. The Ten : Nike x Virgil Abloh London Pop-Up - Day 1

Unleashing Virgil's reconstructions of the AJ1 and Blazer.

As an official Nike partner for the generation-defining collaboration, END. has transformed the Kachette in Shoreditch, Central London, into an immersive gallery space which tells the story of Nike x Virgil Abloh's "The Ten", exhibiting each iconic silhouette and telling the story of its reconstruction by the inimitable Abloh.

The day began with a crowd of hype-clad streetwear buffs queuing in unique anticipation to collect their pre-purchased Abloh-iterations of the Air Jordan 1 and Blazer silhouettes. Those in line were in high spirits, with some having started their near-ecclesiastical pilgrimage to the official END. collection point from as far off as Chengdu and Manilla; so dedicated to the opportunity to cop their own piece of sneaker history, these travellers have inadvertently become the personification of Nike's most fundamental principle: 'Just Do It'.

Situated in the gritty urban centre of Shoreditch, surrounded by London's conveyor-belt of construction sites, the location and atmosphere could not have more closely represented Virgil Abloh's vision for this iconic partnership.

Driven by the elusive nature of perfection, constantly retooling, reimagining, and reinventing to interpret each project or product he touches in his own aesthetic language, Abloh watched over the attending inner-sanctum of sneakerheads from the official campaign imagery that has become the backdrop of central London for the duration of the pick-ups and exhibition.

Signalling the end of another significant chapter in his transfixing design evolution, which has seen him catapulted into the upper echelons of luxury fashion in what seems like a matter of seasons, we can't help but wonder: what's next for Virgil?

For everything you need to know about the pop-up space and it's opening times, read the key information below.

writerEuan Smart
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