story

"Hi, I'm Nina Chanel Abney. I'm a multi-disciplinary artist. I paint with spray paint, I do outdoor murals, installations. I'm now delving into the digital space …"

"… with NFTs and now commercial products. I'm going to talk about my very first collection with Jordan Brand".

"Yeah, when I first got approached from Jordan Brand, honestly, it seemed surreal. I didn't want to get my hopes up because …"

"… it's like my dreams coming full circle. I can't maybe necessarily say no to new opportunities. I'm always looking to go into spaces that …"

"… women, queer artists have never been before. So I'm always looking for a new industry to tackle".

"My primary objective for the collection is kind of split. First, it was to insert art …"

"… into everyday product. My other objective was, maybe, I feel like a more underrepresented demographic in the athletic space, and …"

"… for those who maybe were former athletes, lawyers or writers wearing Jordans in their free time".

"I think about those people because I feel like I am one of those people. I've been wearing Jordans since I was a kid".

"What I love about the Jordan 2 is that it comes in high and low. You can wear it every day. It's neutral enough where you can wear it with multiple things, and I like that".

"Maybe it's not a shoe that's been done a lot, so it felt like a cool, clean canvas for me to work on".

"So usually my approach in the studio these days is more based on collage and collaging different elements to make something cohesive".

"My work is usually described as abstract figuration. I hand drew different elements and collaged them to create …"

"… the different logos and graphics, and so that's how it's reflected in this collection. I think it's cohesive with my studio practice".

"So I chose the imagery that I did because typically in a lot of collaborations, no one really affects the logos wholeheartedly in their style. So …"

"… I had, again, a bucket-list opportunity to actually redo the iconic Jumpman logo, and I went for it".

"I would say my collection summed up to versatility again, because I feel like it's something for everybody. You could dress it up, you could dress it down. You could wear it …"

"… on the court. You could just wear it when you're going out. Even the jersey is reversible".

"Success of this collection? A successful collection for me would be someone buying the shoes and picking them up and wearing them out".

"Actually seeing them, incorporating them into their everyday wardrobe, someone having this hoodie 20 years from now, and …"

"… maybe it's coveted in a vintage capacity, something that has longevity and just never dies".

"I'm Nina Chanel Abney, and this is Behind the Design".