With raffles for the Fragment Union Jordan 1 beginning to go live, some of the real mammoth releases of the year are starting to come off the board, finally becoming tangible after months and months of lead-up. Though that three-headed effort is already show-stopping enough, the real centerpiece of Q1 is a step back into the vaunted world of Virgil Abloh, as the V.A.A. x Air Jordan 1 “Alaska” creeps toward its release.
At the risk of stating the obvious, Abloh’s “The Ten” collection and subsequent exploded takes on the Air Jordan 1 have become earnestly legendary checkpoints in the Air Jordan 1 legacy. How Beaverton would (if they’d ever) manage reprising their partnership with the late legend has been an outstanding question since the posthumous release of a Blazer two-pack in 2022. The launch of the Virgil Abloh Archives showcase in Paris marked a soft launch of the post-life legacy, as a fresh V.A.A. x Air Force 1 Low was distributed to gallery employees.
The Virgil Abloh x Air Jordan 1 “Alaska” marks the first “wide” launch in that renewed story, though obviously this will be a hotly contested one regardless of how many pairs are made available. Essentially reprising the “Euro” exclusives from 2018, the detached branding and overlays remain on this pair, as do the exposed blue stitching and orange patch on the lateral side. The significant new development is cut-out drop-side packaging, which reveals a clear plastic insert and a booklet of Abloh design, with the motto “MODERNISM IS NOT NEW” on the cover.
Again, the Virgil Abloh x Air Jordan 1 “Alaska” is currently expected to release on March 28th. Retail pricing and sizing information are still opaque at the time of this writing. Catch in-hand shots below and watch our 2026 Jordan Release Dates for more on this pair and all the Jumpman has in store.
