UPDATE 9/25/25: Presented by Chloe and Mahfuz Sultan, “Virgil Abloh: The Codes” is an extension of the exhibition originally presented in Miami in 2022 and is now on view at Grand Palais, Paris from September 30th (Virgil’s birthday) to October 9th. The exhibition will be on display in Galleries 2.2 and 2.3, from 10 a.m. to 7: 30 p.m. every day, except for an early closing on Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. and a late closing on Oct. 3 until 10 p.m. Tickets are €15 (full price) and €7 (reduced price, 19-26 years old). Children of 18 and under can enter the exhibition for free. Tickets are available online and at the Grand Palais box office.
Original Story 9/8/25:
Nike Virgil Abloh Archive is making a homecoming in Paris this fall for “The Codes,” which opens September 30.
Few designers have left the impression on fashion and sneakers quite like Virgil Abloh. Since his passing in 2021, there’s a certain sense of incompletion when it comes to the projects left behind. But his signature style remains influential. To highlight Abloh’s work, Nike and the Virgil Abloh Archive have curated a major exhibition in Paris, allowing the late designer’s creativity to be showcased through never-before-seen pieces and rare samples.
“The Codes” will run from September 30 to October 10. The highlight of the show is the exhibition of Abloh’s signature Nike work, but the Nike Virgil Abloh Archive has prepared a range of experiential pieces including workshops, live performances, and screenings for visitors. The goal is to not only celebrate Abloh’s work but to use the cultural context to make it relevant to new audiences. His ability to bridge creativity with access is what made Abloh a cultural influencer in the first place.
Ahead of the show, GQ got a preview of what to expect. Some of the highlights include Air Force 1 prototypes that were never before seen in public. On display will be Louis Vuitton AF1s with embossed monograms, butter slides with Y2K finishes, and over-scale Swooshes in metallic. Abloh’s playful take on sneakers extends to some of the early ISPA-inspired mids and MCA/overlace pairs. Here, the influence is even more exaggerated, giving an idea of the path those iterations could have gone down. Most exciting for sneakerheads are the pair of Off-White x Air Jordan 1 “Canary” colorways. The sneakers were rumoured for some time, but never actually made a debut. Seeing them here will be a huge topic of discussion, at least among sneakerheads. Those details will be what people remember.
The Nike Virgil Abloh Archive “The Codes” opens on September 30 in Paris and runs through October 10.
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