Already on 13 August 2020, the unisex Converse x Shaniqwa Jarvis Chuck Taylor CX High Top dropped. A Converse with a really great & very aesthetic flower print and a transparent sole with a pink sole shining through it. Converse has collaborated here with, as they state on the website, artist Shaniqwa Jarvis. But if we look a little further, this lady is not only an artist but also a well-known photographer in the scene. And a very interesting one at that. I have done some research for you and those who love photography will appreciate Shaniqwa's work.
Converse x Shaniqwa Jarvis Chuck Taylor CX High Top
Let's start with the sneaker before we move on to photography. The latest version of the Converse model has a canvas upper with stretch parts for even more comfort. As you can imagine, stretch fabric provides extra mobility and also more room to move. In addition, Converse's innovation of the CX Foam sole provides even more comfort in the sole. If you want to learn more about the technology, check out my blog post tomorrow. I'll explain the whole thing to you in more detail then.
The design
The story behind the already quite 'pompous' flower print on the canvas is that Shaniqwa wanted to create an ode to her father, who also worked as a photographer. In an interview with Vogue, she says that she clearly inherited her style from her father. Often you don't realize the parables until you get a little older, maybe you know that too. She tells us that her father used to style himself with extraordinary styles and a good feeling for fabrics and extravagance. As a young girl she didn't really understand the meaning of this, but if you take a look at her styles on her Instagram account you will understand the resemblances:
Who is Shaniqwa Jarvis?
Shaniqwa Jarvis is a photographer who has been walking around with a camera in her hand since childhood. In an interview entitled Shaniqwa Jarvis Is No One's Assistant in The New York Times, she is telling about her first photography experience when she took over the family photography. During her studies she specialized and definitely chose photography as her subject. She says that as an African-American woman, it wasn't easy to make it clear to people in the industry that she was not the assistant, but the photographer herself. When you think about it, it's really crazy, isn't it? I hope, as always, for people's ignorance and not malice, but it is really unbelievable if you think about these stories...🤦🏻♀️
Now with 20 years in the business, she has built up a portfolio that allows her to pat herself on the shoulder. Supreme, Essentials, adidas, Nike, Jordan, Stussy, Elle, Instyle, but also portrait photos of for example Serena Williams, Erykah Badu or Cali B. she can count among them.
And as promised…
… I came across an article on Theymadethislondon.com. They give a great insight into the photographic work of Shaniqwa Jarvis and also parts of her exhibition: This Charming Man. This exhibition, which was shown both in London (where she also lived for a while) and in Tokyo, brought her a lot of publicity, according to which all major brands wanted to work with her. The blog byWillkay took a look at the exhibition and shows you some impressions >>
I could show you a lot of photos here, but I personally always find it interesting to hear the people themselves tell about their work in moving pictures. That's why I share a video with you here. The interviews are linked above in the text for you:
Sneakersnstuff were on site at their exhibition 'Connections' and interviewed the visitors of the exhibition in which Shaniqwa captured the youth of New York in pictures:
If you ask me, I find each of her works very expressive and you look directly at the person or even the object, as you see for example her work 'Cars'. If you're interested in more work, check out Shaniqwa's website or follow her on Instagram:
Believe me - it's worth it!
The hoodie of the Converse x Shaniqwa Jarvis Chuck Taylor CX High Top
To enable you to have the absolute streetwear style as a whole, Converse & Shaniqwa offer this hoodie in the same print for you. The flowerprint, you can find on the back of the hoodie and that is used at the Chuck Taylor, originally is a photo she took on a trip to Mexico 💡
You guys gonna get that flower bomb combo? If you would like to know more about WMNS in the sneaker scene, check your daily content at our WMNS Club!