About the Artists

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The artists in this bundle work across a range of disciplines, from painting to sculpture to fashion. KAWS is an American artist and designer who began his career in graffiti and, after developing a massive online following, now primarily works in painting, sculpture and editioned works. Like KAWS, Futura began in New York’s graffiti scene, eventually making his way to an affiliation with the Fun Gallery (alongside names like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring); his work now focuses on small collectible figures and sneakers. Tom Sachs, a sculptor best known for his elaborate recreations of various modern and consumer icons, has championed a utilitarian approach to art, often creating works with common materials like plywood. Pieter Janssen, better known as Parra, is a Dutch painter, illustrator and animator lauded for his post-Pop-esque representations of mutated figures. Virgil Abloh came to prominence as Kanye West’s creative director but has since made waves in the fashion world with his luxury streetwear label Off-White and his 2018 appointment as artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton.

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About the Sneakers 

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Nike Air Max 1 Parra x Patta “Cherrywood”

In 2009, Patta partnered with Nike to release 4 iterations of the Air Max 1 in celebration of their 5th anniversary. A year later, Patta teamed up with Dutch artist Parra, to release an extremely limited (258 pairs worldwide) run of a fifth, burgundy colorway. It is thought to be one of the most highly coveted Air Max 1 colorways ever created. 

Nike Air Force 1 “Kaws”

The Nike Air Force 1 “Kaws”  was released in 2008 as a part of the 1WORLD campaign. Eighteen innovators from around the world, spanning different disciplines, were given the opportunity to create their own Air Force 1. Other collaborators included CLOT, Questlove and Michael Lau.

Nike Air Max 90 Current x Kaws “Black Volt”

The Nike Air Max 90 Current x Kaws “Black Volt” was released in 2008. KAWS teamed up with Nike Footwear Director Jesse Leyva to give technical updates to the classic Nike silhouette, taking cues from the Nike ACG program. The shoes were released exclusively at Nike Sportswear stores. 

Nike x Tom Sachs Mars Yard 1.0

In 2012, Tom Sachs partnered with Nike to release the NikeCraft Mars Yard; a shoe inspired by Sachs’ work with NASA scientists in preparation for his 2012 exhibition SPACE PROGRAM 2.0: Mars. 

Nike x Tom Sachs Mars Yard 2.0

Five years after the initial Mars Yard release, Sachs partnered with Nike again in 2019 to release an improved version of the original shoe. The updated version features new materials for better performance, longevity and durability. 

Nike SB Dunk High “Unkle”

In 2003, Futura painted the cover for European trip-hop trio U.N.K.L.E.’s “Never, Never, Land” album. The following year, Nike partnered with James Lavelle of U.N.K.L.E. to release a Nike SB Dunk that incorporated Futura’s album artwork. This shoe’s collaboration marked an important intersection between the worlds of skateboarding and fashion. 

Nike Air Force 1 x Off-White “MoMA”

In 2018, a year after releasing “The Ten” collection, Abloh partnered with New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to release an exclusive Air Force 1 colorway. The shoes were released at the MoMA store, celebrating the opening of the Items: Is Fashion Modern? exhibition.