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As anticipation for Virgil Abloh‘s “The Ten” collaboration with Nike continues to mount, an insider’s look at the thought process behind his now famous seeding process has been revealed by his good friend and co-owner of No Vacancy Inn, Tremaine Emory.
Sharing a friendship with Abloh over the years, his insight into the Chicago native’s mindset with regards to the Off-White x Air Jordan 1 seeding is quite insightful, citing Virgil’s seemingly marketing first approach is anything but. The process stems from his close and uniquely intimate relationships with those he’s gifted.
Emory’s pair was scripted “Mom Smiles” by Virgil, referencing his late mother. It was an impactful message for Emory, and he says that all other pairs that Virgil has gifted to friends within his creative circle have very similar personal odes that only resonates with Virgil and that individual.
He also highlights that “The Ten” indirectly references Tom Sachs’ approach to design, labeling the collection, and more specifically the Air Jordan 1 collab, a “beautifully imperfect” shoe.
Take a look at the video below to learn more about Tremaine’s relationship with Virgil and a larger scope of the inventive Off-White philosophy.
