A three-part series ‘Chuck Forever’ explores the core cultural scenes that have made Chuck Taylors so iconic. In the latest instalment we are transported to LA, where Long Beach recording artist and style icon Vince Staples guides viewers through Chuck Taylor’s influence on street style and hip hop music in urban Los Angeles.
The video, directed by award-winning filmmaker Karim Huu Do, taps into Los Angeles’ youth culture; it shows how music and fashion combine to build enduring subcultures. During the film, viewers are also introduced to Los Angeles Lakers star Jordan Clarkson, and Born and Raised founder Spanto, who each explain their relationship with Chucks, and talk us through the way they choose to dress.
Julien Cahn, the Chief Marketing Officer at Converse, explains how, “Los Angeles has played an important role in revolutionising youth culture far beyond the west coast. Chuck Taylor has been part of all of that. He’s a symbol for underdogs, rebels and individualists all around the world.”
The newly launched series focuses on the daring, confident spirit of youth culture and celebrates the impact of Chucks on diverse cultural scenes all over the world. In the first instalment, Stranger Things star Mille Bobbie Brown introduced us to the use of Chucks in film, asking what kinds of characters wear them, and why?
For spring/summer 2015 Converse has teamed up with the Japanese fashion house founded by legendary designer, Rei Kawakubo, for the fourth time to release the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star ‘70 PLAY COMME des GARÇONS sneaker collection.
This collaboration sees them create an exclusive four pair range of the premium All Star Chuck 70 sneakers in high-top and ox silhouettes. They feature heavy grade black and milk canvas uppers, a smaller toe box and higher midsole finished in solid white, reinforced contrast canvas heel strips, nickel hardware, thick cotton laces and a cushioned sockliner for added comfort. And of course the design is finished with the signature red heart logo created by New York-based graphic artist, Filip Pagowski.
The collection is available exclusively at Dover Street Market stores in both London and New York, COMME des GARÇONS New York and online at doverstreetmarket.com.
It’s highly likely that every wardrobe contains a much loved, battered pair of Converse, if not two. This week, the iconic brand continues to cement itself at the cutting edge of cool with the launch of Made by You in London.
The campaign celebrates how each pair of Converse starts off as a blank canvas, before each stain, each tear and scuff, becomes a self-portrait of its owner. Fans across the world have offered their Chuck Taylors for sneaker portraits, and the resulting exhibition showcases the diversity of the wearers and their stories.
Converse have curated a selection of the sneaker portraits by international icons including Patti Smith, Jefferson Hack, Andy Warhol and Glenn O’Brien, as well as British representatives from various fields including Agi & Sam, Sibling, Sean Frank, Sam Taylor and Shay Ola. Each person has also shared their Six Word Story, a snapshot of their Chucks experience and life attitude.
Chuck fans in the UK now also have their own chance to celebrate their stories and their sneakers, as London-based artist Damilola Odusote will create an original Made by you art installation in Shoreditch.
The resulting exhibition features thousands of polaroids of Londoners wearing their Chucks and sharing their Six Word Stories, assembled into a structure of London’s iconic outline. Supported by students from Central Saint Martins, Damilola will construct the installation by hand within a gallery space on London’s Shoreditch high street.
Tomorrow, Thursday 22nd May, Converse CONS Project London will open in Peckham – one of the city’s most up-and-coming creative hubs. The 10-week project sets out to unleash creativity within the community, giving young people a space to be inspired and learn whilst fuelling their own passions through a series of talks, workshops and exhibitions. Festivities begin with the launch of CONS Street, a new skate spot for London designed by Jerome Campbell.
The initative is curated by five local CONS Ambassadors such as James Benenson (Urban Nerds), Alex Synamatix (The Daily Street), Scratcha DVA (Rinse/Hyperdub), Jerome Campbell (Converse Cons Skate Ambassador) and Sam Taylor (Vice/Little White Lies). You will find US hip-hop legend PUSHA T launching CONS Project London when he takes to the stage at the official opening party on Thursday 29th May. There’s plenty to get involved in with events such as the Graffiti Canvas Workshop, Skate Photography Workshop, Keeping Print Alive Seminar and a DIY Digital Media Seminar plus many more.
For more information and to register for the free events and workshops, head to conversecons.com/ldn
Converse Jack Purcell has announced their first collaboration with Hancock, the British luxury brand and with trainers being big news this spring, these caught our attention. The design collaboration has created a collection of the Jack Purcell mid-top sneaker that combines rubber bonded, waterproof materials in a range of spring hues such as indigo, mastic grey and a summery yellow all perfect for the upcoming sunny season and festivals alike. The trainers all feature a soft printed lining and the Hancock Vulcanised Articles logo on the heel tab.
Converse have been creating a worldwide stir, popping up across Europe, the Middle East and Africa with their latest project #SNEAKERSCLASH. Designed to disrupt and clash against the dull greys of the world, the series started in Amsterdam and last night made its way to London. The whole initative is brought to life through two different interactive activations – Wall of Clash and Photo Clash. Clash Wall brings together street artists with clashing styles and techniques at unexpected locations, asking them to create their most visceral work against lifeless walls and spaces. And so that’s what happened at The Old Vinyl Factory, the former record-pressing plant of EMI in Hayes, London. The abandoned 107-year-old building has been brought back to life through the colourful work of artists Remi Rough and System from the Agents of Change collective. They painted the exterior in designs inspired by Converse’s newest collection, the new All Star Chuck ‘70 and the mural itself is set to be London’s biggest to date.
Converse Skate Ambassador Pontus Alv had the idea to make a little film about cruising around Paris with a jump ramp and a couple of plates, inspired by 1989 and the Converse CONS CTAS Pro Skate sneakers.
“Back when I was a kid, we all had a jump ramp outside our house. We painted that and our grip tape and expressed ourselves in so many ways. I miss those days and I miss those details,” says Pontus Alv.
Alongside the film is a special edition newspaper also titled, Trocadéro Days. It features photography by Nils Svensson, illustrations by Pontus Alv and interviews with the other Converse Skate Ambassadors that were part of this project. Look out for it in all good Skate stores across Europe.
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