Converse ‘Uncomfortable’ With Denim Tears Watermelon Sneaker

Designer Tremain Emory is revealing how “uncomfortable” Converse was along with his watermelon-inspired sneaker thought for the Chuck 70 collab.

The Denim Tears founder sat down with legendary Def Jam file exec Rick Rubin as a part of his Tetragrammaton podcast, the place he defined why he by no means teamed again up with Converse following the Pan-African flag Chuck Taylor from 2020. Based on Emory, his thought for a watermelon-themed sneaker was deemed too contentious for Converse to navigate within the present racial local weather, they usually wished to keep away from being labeled racist.

“The distinction within the scenario was, they referred to as me, they advised me, they weren’t down, they didn’t wanna do it,” Emory mentioned across the 02:14:35 mark. “They have been uncomfortable with the imagery.”

The watermelon sneaker would have adopted the excessive and low Chuck 70s launched in October 2020 that featured the Pan-African flag on the higher. Coming one month forward of a controversial presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the shoe served as a nod to get Black creatives to vote.

Regardless of Converse’s pushback on the sneakers, Emory maintained his imaginative and prescient and launched a Denim Tears S/S 2024 “Kiss My Grits” assortment earlier this month that featured food-inspired items. T-shirts, hoodies, and two-piece units bear photographs of watermelons, yams, inexperienced beans, and different in style soul meals menu objects.

Denim Tears additionally teamed up with Japanese label Comme des Garçons earlier this month for a watermelon-themed equipment assortment that features a watermelon pockets and a print leather-based zip pouch.

Emory is thought for amplifying Black historical past and tradition by his trend items. He stepped away from his inventive director function at Supreme final 12 months after butting heads with the model on a collaboration with artist Arthur Jafa that may’ve included imagery from Ex-Slave Gordon, an artwork piece of a previously enslaved Black man.

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