For the art world, Deorro Abloh is a big deal. This Fall, he designed Nike’s three collections, including the smash-hit (and, to all of us), Air Max 95s. Abloh is on a tour through Europe, alongside Mad Max: Fury Road supermodel Abbey Lee Kershaw and Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon. But his latest move is creating a private app for sensitive relationships.
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“Love is the only thing that can fundamentally unite us humans,” Abloh says. “And I would like to live to witness the day when it really happens.”
The private app was inspired by the Anonymous website that fuels discussions between people in denial about their sexuality.
The idea was to create an app where people can understand themselves without having to deal with the backlash that comes from being more open, more vulnerable, more honest.
Abloh started with a prototype at Burning Man 2017, when he lost both of his parents in separate accidental fire accidents within two weeks of each other. He wanted to rebuild his relationship with them. So Abloh asked Abloh if he could build a metaphor for his struggle for love using digital technology. The result was an app that allows people to use one another as a symbol for their relationship. “Forgiveness would help this app into reality,” Abloh says. “Everyone has a tag on their app’s home screen, where they share when and what they feel is an important part of their life.”