For this year’s Black History Month, Converse has launched its 2024 Black Joy collection, a capsule collection of footwear and apparel designed by Converse’s Black design team. This collection pulls inspiration from the imaginative energy of the Harlem Renaissance, reimagined for the Black creators of today.
Converse is one of the OG brands, a Nike-owned lifestyle brand known for its Chuck Taylor sneakers. Creativity plays a significant role in helping the company connect with its customers and inspire its employees. But keeping pace with street style and consumers’ latest behaviors is no small task; it requires innovation and a healthy dose of fearlessness. The Converse shoe brand has been around since 1908, and the company is still going strong.
Six multi-hyphenate Black creators — Denise Stephanie Hewitt, Carly Heywood, Ana Rice, Sef Akins, Xavier “X” Means, and Rivers Chowdhry-Cahee — created, shot, and produced the campaign, called the City Is Our Canvas. It draws inspiration from the Harlem Renaissance and the larger legacy of New York-born artistry, opening the door for the next generations of New York’s Black creativity.
I love the fact that Converse is celebrating the heritage of the Harlem Renaissance and allowing new generations the opportunity to expand upon that. They enlisted local New York born-and-bred talent to be in front of the camera for the campaign, choosing creatives that exemplified the idea of using their creative mediums and a method of expressing individuality, forming community, and finding joy. Instead of using iconography of the Harlem Renaissance period, they wanted to focus on generational lineage.
By engaging with the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance era, Converse looked to highlight how history and culture are continuously being made and redefined in the culturally rich Black communities of New York, ones that are not a monolith, but have evolved to include many different facets.
Seeking to spur young Black creatives to flourish artistically, there are two new iterations of the iconic Chuck 70 and Chuck Taylor All Star, as well as cropped and standard fit T-shirts. This collection rejoices in the Black History Month being every month and allows consumers to channel self-expression, style, and culture.
The Black Joy Chuck 70 and Chuck Taylor All Star uplift the current spirit of Black creativity. The Chuck 70 features tear-away canvas that reveals a suede graphic upper for a hidden twist on a classic style, which gives a nod to skate-inspired style. Meanwhile, the Chuck Taylor All Star mixes a durable suede and faux leather for a luxe touch. Both silhouettes feature a ‘Blk Joy’ branded tag on the heel to celebrate Black self-expression and creativity, alongside the iconic Chuck Taylor ankle patch and All-Star license plate and OrthoLite cushioning for optimal comfort.
The Harlem Renaissance took place in Harlem between the 1920s and 1930s. It was a cultural movement of creativity where Black people soared in music, literature, art, and fashion. If there were ever a time I would have loved to live in, it would have been the Harlem Renaissance.
The fashion during the Harlem Renaissance was all about colors, patterns, and attention to detail. Women’s fashion included flapper dresses, cloche hats, and long pearl necklaces. The men’s included tailored suits and fedoras. It was a reflection of the social attitudes of the time. Women’s fashion during the Harlem Renaissance was about a rejection of traditional gender roles. Women wore shorter hemlines and bolder colors. This was to reflect their newfound sense of independence and confidence.
The Harlem Renaissance was nurtured by Black churches and businesses — in other words, the Black community. A poor Black worker could brush shoulders with educated, wealthy Black residents. They could take part in entertainment by Black people, for Black people. They could be exposed to a vision of Black achievement and potential that was unheard of in most parts of the United States.
I see that same spirit in this Black Joy collection, particularly in its reach. The Renaissance didn’t stop in Harlem; the cultural upswell took hold across the North and in the West. In Chicago, for example, Black luminaries held public art exhibitions and gathered a groundbreaking collection of materials on Black history housed at the city’s public library. My own hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, became an influential epicenter for jazz and blues.
Empowering young, diverse creatives exemplify Converse’s mission as a brand to providing access and opportunity for rising creatives and artists, letting them bring their own authentic voices to brand campaigns. Additionally, since 2015, Converse has donated $3.9 million to Black community organizations, in addition to the larger Nike Inc. Black Community Commitment, as part of the brand’s always-on, 365-day commitment to social impact.
Converse is passionate about supporting Black creatives both inside and outside the company, now and in the future. They have showed up in moments of progress and history-making change. In most recent years, the brand has provided support to show its ongoing commitments to the Black community and investing in Black artists.
The 2024 Black Joy Collection is giving Black creativity its flowers, honoring the art and creativity of New York City. We love to see it. Shop the full collection here.
