FASHION 2020

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Next, we have Air Jordan...

Air Jordan

is a brand of basketball shoes, athletic, casual, and style clothing produced by Nike. It was created for former NBA player and six-time NBA Finals MVP Michael Jordan. The original Air Jordan sneakers were produced exclusively for Michael Jordan in early 1984 and released to the public in late 1984. The shoes were designed for Nike by Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore.

As legend has it, the iconic Air Jordan sneaker series almost never lifted off. Soon after Michael Jordan debuted the Air Jordan I, the NBA stepped in and banned the shoe because they featured "non-regulation" colors. Suffice it to say, Jordan didn't listen and thusly, the great basketball shoe boom began.

Below is a look at each and every pair of Air Jordan shoes released by Nike, a total of 34 in all (not counting the many colorways and variations). Next to each pair is Nike's motto for the shoe (if any) and the year in which they debuted.

Nike also produces popular sneakers for Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant.

The Air Jordan that was first produced for Michael Jordan in 1984 was designed by Peter C. Moore. The red and black colorway of the Nike Air Ship, the prototype for the Jordan I, was later outlawed by then-NBA Commissioner David Stern for having very little white on them (this rule, known as the "51 percent" rule, was repealed in the late 2000s). After the Nike Air Ship was banned, Michael Jordan and Nike introduced the Jordan I in colorways with more white, such as the "Chicago" and "Black Toe" colorways. They used the Nike Air Ship's ban as a promotional tool in advertisements, hinting that the shoes gave an unfair competitive advantage. The Air Jordan I was originally released from 1985 to 1986, with re-releases (known as "retros") in 1994, 2001–2004, and 2007–2018.

Some released colorways include:

• Black/Red: September 15, 1985
• White/Black-Red: September 15, 1985
• Black/Royal Blue: 1985
• White/Blue: 1986
• Pewter/Black Max-Orange: January 31, 2009
• White/Sea Green: July 4, 2009
• Black/Shadow Grey-White: September 1, 2009
• Wolf Grey/Spice White: July 1, 2010
• Metallic Silver/White: November 1, 2010
• Black/Anthracite: December 1, 2010
• Altitude Green/Black: December 11, 2010

Rick Owens

Rick Owens is an American-born, Paris-based designer whose groundbreaking collections have earned him the nickname The Lord of Darkness. Influencing countless designers, his gothic aesthetic boasts a fashion-sportswear hybrid with gender-neutral design in the hottest color of the season…always black. His cult-like status means his designs can be seen everywhere from the racks of obscure boutiques to dressing the hottest names in hip hop, including A$AP Rocky who rapped “Rick Owens usually what I’m dressed in” in his 2011 hit “Peso.” 

1990 Owens is hired by designer Michelle Lamy to work on her clothing line Lamy. The pair later become business partners and later marry.

JUNE 2013 Owens unveils the first of his now-legendary Adidas collaborations.

 

SEPTEMBER 2013 Owens presents his “Prehistoric” furniture collection at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London, with the seven-piece collection appearing in only white and black.

The Spring/Summer 2014 runway show makes waves with a collection of step dancers from four different sororities – Washington Divas, Soul Steppers, The Momentums, The Zetas – replacing models.

 

SEPTEMBER 2014 The Lord of Darkness celebrates 20 years of his label adding an eerie twist to Selfridges, with four window displays and a curated area that not only boasts an exclusive collection but a 35ft sculpture of Owen’s himself on the exterior.

 

JANUARY 2015 Owens makes headlines with his fall 2015 collection with some strategically placed holes and gratuitous male nudity.

 

AUGUST 2017 Owens and Adidas announce the end of their collaboration as Owens’ moves to Hood Rubber.

 

DECEMBER 2017 Owens’ first museum exhibition and retrospective, chronicling over 20 years of his life’s work, entitled, “Subhuman Inhuman Superhuman” opened at the Triennale di Milano.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I.AM.GIA

When we caught up with Pallister, the Australian brand’s co-founder and creative director, she admitted that the label is, “brand new. In May, we launched the first line,” making I.AM.GIA only six months old. “In January, was the concept. It was in a meditation session. I was  actually in a sensory deprivation   tank—” we had to stop her right   there. A sensory deprivation   tank; as in a flightless,   soundproof floatation tank   filled with Epsom salt and water   set at skin temperature to encourage the effects of—you guessed it—sensory deprivation (e.g., relaxation; enhanced creativity; hallucinations; heightened introspection; and, in some cases, extreme anxiety). So yeah, Pallister first got the idea of I.AM.GIA in one of these freaky tanks.

She continues, “I was thinking, 'I need to do something new.' I startedthinking of Gia Carangi, who was a huge inspiration for me, and the fact that she was the first of her time—the first ever supermodel—and I wanted to create this virtual character that doesn't exist but she is a phenomenon, which was the goal.” Pallister goes on to describe the moment she came home, fresh from the sensory deprivation tank, to tell her sister and business partner, Stevie Cox. “I was like, ‘Alright, I have an idea. I’m going to create a character, and this character is going to be this label.’ And she was like, ‘You are crazy.’” But it didn’t take long for her to get on board. Soon enough, (four weeks later, to be exact), the concept for the first line was done.

Fast forward to Paris Fashion Week and an Instagram direct message from Bella Hadid’s stylist Elizabeth Sulcer. Pallister shares, “I was at home,” in a nature reserve in Melbourne, Australia, BTW, “It was 5 a.m., and I was like, ‘OK, is this really happening? I’m sitting in my nature reserve. I have a small factory down the road. I’m going to get in my car with my wet hair and go and pack this for Bella for Paris Fashion Week!' I rang my sister up, like, ‘You wouldn’t believe it!’ And a week later, Bella wore it. It was literally a dream come true.”

Never underestimate the power of social media marketing and a good DM. Candice Swanepoel, Romee Strijd, and Madison Beer are just a few notable figures I.AM.GIA has formed a relationship with via Instagram. “I think that’s the most powerful thing about social media—how quickly you can communicate with people in real time. And it just shows you how all these models and these celebrities are real people and super sweet. Their communication with us has just been incredible. So we’ve been on a high for, like, four months.”

Now the question begs: Who is Gia? “I feel like she’s everybody. Nowadays, with social media, it's been a real hard one because so many girls aspire to be these certain types of stereotypical girls who are out there. But every woman is so beautiful in their own way, and I wanted Gia to be that. I didn't want her to be one particular woman—I wanted her to be, like, every nationality, every body type. Every look that there is, I wanted Gia to be. And I wanted her to make every type of woman to feel like a badass when they put [the clothes] on. When someone asks me to explain Gia, I'm like, 'Three words: She's a badass.' A very powerful, strong, independent badass."

While you can shop an entire I.AM.GIA wardrobe right now on iamgia.com (with more launching on the site regularly), we had to ask: What’s next for the Aussie brand? All we can say is keep your eyes peeled for 2018—Gia menswear just might be coming your way. Oh, and more accessories (excuse us while we squeal).