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Kanye West's "iPlane" Pitch to President Used Industrial Designer Shabtai Hirshberg's Masters Thesis Rendering

Does Kanye read Coroflot?

By Rain Noe - October 15, 2018

in Flotspotting

Does Kanye West read Coroflot? Last week during a visit to the Oval Office, West suggested to President Trump that Air Force One should be replaced by an "iPlane 1," which West said would be developed by Apple. West presumably meant it theoretically, but he brought a rendering with him on his phone, which he showed to the President:

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No, West didn't commission that image. He somehow encountered and lifted industrial designer Shabtai Hirshberg's "Redesign of a Commercial Aircraft" project, which Hirshberg posted to Coroflot (and, admittedly, elsewhere) in May of 2012. The project was Hirshberg's Master's thesis while studying at CCS.

I really want to insist that Kanye reads Coroflot, but I can't prove it.

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phil walters

5 years ago

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I'm not sure why anyone qives Kanye any oxygen on anything.

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Adam Kruvand

5 years ago

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Any press is good press? Thanks for linking the designer.

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Matt Beale

5 years ago

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I really got a kick out of this story in part because I had been looking at the "DesignShabtai" Facebook page a year ago so I recognized his name immediately.

In other design news from the SAME EVENT, Kanye appeared to claim sole* credit for the Adidas comeback, when it really was the work of many people at Adidas and the result of the big sales of shoe lines like Boost and Superstar. Adidas' decision to give their US HQ in Portland the design lead is also really important. Yes, Adidas has gotten more than their money's worth out of Kanye since they signed him, but he sure isn't helping now. Unless that changes, he will be dropped. https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/adidas-ceo-support-kanye-west-slavery-remark/313374/

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r b

5 years ago

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He was fresh off a visit to CCS

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- Eric Strebel
  
  r b
  
  5 years ago
  
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  Correct, he also post some of the students work but did not give them any credit either. Totally uncool.
  
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Nic Reed

5 years ago

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Nothing wrong with having a vision...is that illegal yet?

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Russell Robertson

5 years ago

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This happens when a design the has been circulated on the Internet. Public Domain.
It grabs attention. You might find those who actually can't actually design... try to take credit for an idea they see. That is the world we live in.

Our Mini Modal taxi cab was used many times with-out permission. Oh well..However, it did do the service of creating enough awareness to re-design the NYC taxi. So it served its purpose. It should be stated that those who use work or show it as their idea... should give credit and support the origins of the concept. That is timeless.

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Michael K

5 years ago

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What the difference between this new aircraft that can't actually fly and a flying carpet..... Nothing. It's just another make believe vehicle from a CCS student. I think Mr West is a behanced fan he would not pay the fee on coroflot to browse through some suff, he's not that sick in the head, lol

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Marc Vlemmings

5 years ago

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Kanye West did do some photoshopping on Mr. Shabtai's design. He got rid of the KLM livery on the plane.

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Gerard Van der Leun

5 years ago

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Smart, really smart, people like Kanye... especially because of his designing... do.

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- Luke Fabis
  
  Gerard Van der Leun
  
  5 years ago
  
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  They don’t think it be like it is, but it do.
  
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