Wright Auction

The present lot is an reinterpretion of Michael Graves' kettle model 9093, originally designed for Alessi in 1985. Abloh updated the iconic design replacing light blue and burgundy for a bold purple and swapping the whistling bird with a basketball player going in for a slam-dunk. 

“Taking cues from Michael Graves’ original approach to the 9093 kettle by mixing and introducing various influences into the design process, the 3909 kettle references basketball and introduces an iconic silhouette with global resonance into the design outcome.” —Alaska Alaska, Abloh's studio

Abloh's take on the classic form is available in a limited edition of 9,999. 

When he was 17 years old, Virgil Abloh sent Nike his own DIY designs for their infamous Air Force 1 sneaker. Two decades later, just prior to his untimely passing from cancer at the age of 41, Abloh was responsible for orchestrating a momentous Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force collaboration. Abloh's meteoric success as a designer and businessman seems rivaled only by his reputation as a truly generous, inclusive leader who sought to inspire and open doors for younger generations. Writing for GQ, Samuel Hine described Abloh as a "multi-multi-hyphenate creative whose tenure at [Louis Vuitton] was nothing less than groundbreaking." Tremaine Emory, Abloh's close collaborator and founder of fashion label Denim Tears, offered, "He’s one of the most powerful people in pop culture. There’s no one who’s been as powerful as him at his level of compassion, humanity, and kindness, and lightheartedness. There’s no one that feared him. Most people gain power through fear. He gained power through inclusion."

Rago, Wright, and LAMA are proud to host the Be Original Americas benefit auction. All proceeds including the 26% buyer's premium go to Be Original Americas in support of their mission to raise awareness about the value and significance of authenticity.