Converse x ROKIT Channel Downtown LA For New Collection
The collaboration gets back to both brands’ roots, with a campaign video that serves as an ode to LA and it’s creatives under quarantine.
ROKIT, the streetwear brand founded in downtown Los Angeles’s Flower District, paired up again with Converse to create a collection that goes back to both brand’s roots—basketball and skateboarding. Bam Barcena and Nico Guardalabene are the brains behind ROKIT, and with the new three piece collection, they aimed for something more personal.
“The idea of it originally being a basketball shoe and now being more of a cultural icon says a lot—and that magic of being able to exist in seemingly different spaces is very much in line with the spirit we capture with ROKIT,” Barcena said of the collaboration. “We’re big on storytelling . . . starting with the general idea we began to narrow down what exactly that meant in terms of color, graphics and fabrication.”
The collection conjures the surfaces and materials of basketball and skateboarding; the classic Chuck 70 seeing the asphalt colors of downtown LA with pops of color throughout, while the pull-over hoodie includes fleece and patchwork sleeves in a vintage wash. The third piece is the utility vest, noted by it’s 3M reflective lining and leopard print graphics on jersey-like mesh.
For the collaboration’s campaign video, which is in support of Converse’s Create At Home initiative, director and editor Rayscorruptedmind envisions Burberry Erry, Nico Guardalabene, Tommy Genesis, Reese La Flare, Evan Mock, and Luka Sabbat all in their respective LA quarantines. The video, produced by Luis Cano, serves as an appreciation of the Southern California city and aims to unify creatives and their community.
Get the Converse x ROKIT collection on May 14th through the Converse website, and catch a glimpse below.