CONVERSE X UNION CELEBRATE INTERIOR DESIGN

Converse’s latest collaboration with UNION, a;store synonymous with elevated, contemporary fashion and its longstanding mission to support diverse creatives, celebrates Sheila Bridges, a New York-based interior designer known for her distinct furnishing approach. To wit, Bridges’ ability for visual storytelling through interior design is represented by her signature Harlem Toile motif, featured for the first time on footwear with the Chuck Taylor All Star, one of her favorite silhouettes.; A toile, short for the iconic French “toile de Jouy”, is a printed material with a floral, figure or landscape design, typically seen in upholstery.;Bridges’ version illustrates her experience of African American culture in her hometown that stems from a desire to design a pattern that spoke to her personally.;It is now preserved at The Cooper Hewitt;Smithsonian Design Museum's permanent wallpaper collection. “I didn’t ever see myself represented in any of the designs,” says Bridges, “so, I created my own.”; Revealing a duality of expression, her toile plays on African-American stereotypes and culture with scenes of subjects jumping rope, playing basketball, dancing and having picnics, all in 18th-century attire.;; The iconic Chuck Taylor serves as the base for Bridges’ scenes that unreel against its crisp white canvas upper.; “It’s that indelibly designed;shoe,” says UNION owner and operator;Chris Gibbs.;“It’s that cool shoe. It’s the perfect canvas for intricate stories via print graphics.”; ;