CONVERSE CHUCK TAYLOR 70 by NATE LOWMAN
When the Converse Chuck Taylor 70 meets the artist Nate Lowman, it's inevitably to make headlines. Check out our post Converse, a story of an icon for more infos on Converse. Nate Lowman is one of those artists who embody the new American wave at the same level as Agathe Snow, Payam Sharifi or Dan Colen. He enjoys appropriating emblems of his generation by reworking and destroying them. And what better sneaker icon of the 1980s than the iconic Converse Chuck Taylor 70?
He then challenged himself to modernize through art the emblematic pair of the Converse Rubber Shoe Company. To do this, he will make his own pairs from two of his paintings, which are themselves inspired by a portrait of Marilyn Monroe painted by Willem De Kooning. He deconstructed his paintings and transposed them into raw materials to make these unique pairs, estimated at $25,000 per pair. Perhaps the most expensive sneakers in the fashion history. A real spotlight on the work of the Las Vegas native artist, usually known for his pop art diversions. This collaboration comes just after a series of t-shirts made for the American label Supreme, the avant-garde of world streetwear.
The choice of the Chuck Taylor 70 Converse is a strong symbol, because if a pair of sneakers has survived the years well without aging and consolidating its iconic status, it's her. Whether at the feet of James Dean, Elvis Presley, Brian Jones or more recently Kurt Cobain, the Ctas 70 has made its mark on the history of pop culture and even sneakers. A simple and unpretentious design, a reasonable price and an infinite range of colours, that's what makes this model an icon that speaks to all strata of society.
As mentioned earlier, this is not Nate Lowman's first collaboration with the ready-to-wear world, the latest one was with none other than the streetwear brand with the red logo box, Supreme. This connection between the artist and the fashion world is made possible thanks to the Californian Just One Eye concept store. Indeed, the shop located in Los Angeles is a pioneer in bringing together contemporary artists and label fashion. Their slogan is quite explicit, "A world where fashion & art collide", it promotes art, performance and fantasy in the service of emerging or established creators. The aim is to create unique pieces that the customer can wear proudly without fear of crossing the entire city with it, in an era where fashion is globalized and standardized.
Between pop culture, art and sneakers, the artist has struck a blow with his pairs of Converse Chuck Taylor 70 by Nate Lowman, because they remind everyone that art can be found anywhere in our daily lives without us noticing, even at our feet on a canvas.
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