Designer Tremain Emory is revealing how “uncomfortable” Converse was with his watermelon-inspired sneaker idea for the Chuck 70 collab.
The Denim Tears founder sat down with legendary Def Jam record exec Rick Rubin as part of his Tetragrammaton podcast, where he explained why he never teamed back up with Converse following the Pan-African flag Chuck Taylor from 2020. According to Emory, his idea for a watermelon-themed sneaker was deemed too contentious for Converse to navigate in the current racial climate, and they wanted to avoid being labeled racist.
“The difference in the situation was, they called me, they told me, they weren’t down, they didn’t wanna do it,” Emory said around the 02:14:35 mark. “They were uncomfortable with the imagery.”
The watermelon sneaker would have followed the high and low Chuck 70s released in October 2020 that featured the Pan-African flag on the upper. Coming one month ahead of a controversial presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the shoe served as a nod to get Black creatives to vote.
ad_1 ampforwp-incontent-custom-banner ampforwp-incontent-ad2">Despite Converse’s pushback on the sneakers, Emory maintained his vision and released a Denim Tears S/S 2024 “Kiss My Grits” collection earlier this month that featured food-inspired pieces. T-shirts, hoodies, and two-piece sets bear images of watermelons, yams, green beans, and other popular soul food menu items.
Denim
Tears also teamed up with Japanese label Comme des Garçons earlier this month for a watermelon-themed accessories collection that includes a watermelon wallet and a print leather zip pouch.Emory is known for amplifying Black history and culture through his fashion pieces. He stepped away from his creative director role at Supreme last year after butting heads with the brand on a collaboration with artist Arthur Jafa that would’ve included imagery from Ex-Slave Gordon, an art piece of a formerly enslaved Black man.
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