Punk brand Midnight Studios recently teamed up with Converse. Both brands celebrated the collaboration last night in Los Angeles, at Midnight Studios’ boutique bodega.
For those anticipating the result of the collaboration, the sneakers officially hit stores on Friday and will be priced between $110 to $120. Midnight Studios’ young founder, Shane Gonzales spoke about his original inspirations and wishes for the project, stating:
“We selected the Chuck Taylor 70 because it’s my favorite Converse at the moment and then the One Star for skateboarding and music history. The whole concept behind it is taking the interior and showcasing it on the exterior We just put the shoe inside out. It’s pretty simple, minimal. We didn’t add too much branding on it.”
Gonzales began his brand in 2014 when he was only 19 years old. On its website, the brand describes itself as “anti-aesthetic.” He was right in his description of the shoe, as the only branding can be found on the laces. According to WWD, Gonzales “took design elements such as the shoe’s duty tags, typically on the outside of the tongue, or the player’s tag for the Chuck 70 and placed them on the outside of the shoe against a greige colorway.” Gonzales reportedly still works primarily within his apartment in Hollywood, where he keeps two rooms dedicated to his designs. “I take a lot of photos of people I just run across in the street and base those designs off of what I see,” he states, “Everything’s based off of music history as far as themes.”
It is no wonder then that most are quick to refer to the label as “streetwear.” But, Gonzales himself is reluctant to embrace the term:
“I guess I’m kind of weird about the term streetwear. I guess it’s considered streetwear, but sometimes the price is more elevated contemporary men’s wear. We’re trying to branch out of the streetwear category to more respected men’s wear with better garments and take it to another level than just t-shirts and hoodies.”
He expertly built his young label through well-regarded collaborations such as this one. Gonzales has previously worked with the likes of Guess and Off-White. Midnight Studios can be found at retailers such as Revolve Man and Patron of the New.
His next collaboration will be with the Sex Pistols. This collection will debut June 26th at Selfridges. That will be a sight to see for those who’ve been following the brand, and the same could be said for his most recent work with Converse. Yet, judging by his plans to expand the brand’s contributions to men’s wear, it seems like we can expect a lot more from Midnight Studios.
Featured Image via Max Pixel/Public Domain
