Virgil Abloh Archives Previews Air Jordan 1 High Collab with Design Book

Virgil Abloh’s design style spoke to so many factions of the culture because he had his own life influenced by every aspect of fashion, film, design, music, skateboarding, graffiti, basketball, and more. And as Virgil Abloh Archive continues to carry out Abloh’s legacy, it only makes sense that his design notes, drawings, and ideas be compiled like a classic graffiti black book packaged alongside an Air Jordan 1 High.

Previewed in an Instagram video from VAA, the green, yellow, and red book titled “Modernism Is Not New” is pulled from an Air Jordan 1 High box covered in holes like past Virgil Jordan collabs. After pulling down the side of the box with a pull tab, the book slides out of the shoe box without revealing any preview of sneakers beneath. Of course, we’ve been expecting the Virgil Abloh Archives x Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG Alaska this spring, and this is the box and accessories that will come with it.

Inside the book, drawings of Illinois, couches, graffiti tags, jackets, backpacks, random doodles, and more cover the pages with Virgil’s instantly recognizable style. Hinting at pairs of the Air Jordan 1 collab in adult and youth sizes, the book is shown in full-size and half-size prints.

So far, the “Modernism Is Not New” black book and the collab shoe boxes in two sizes are the only things we’ve seen from an official source regarding the VAA x Air Jordan 1 High, but as we noted earlier, with the Alaska colorway on the way, common sense puts the two together. To keep up with all the latest updates from Virgil Abloh Archive and Jordan, download the Sole Retriever App.

Zach Harris

Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com