"This is the story of how one pair of sneakers led me to where I'm supposed to be."
My love affair with sneakers began in 2017, when Mark De Leon sold me my first pair of Nike Airmax with the signature swoosh and bright orange laces. Covered in motivational "Just Do It" quotes embroidered from back to front. It was a very symbolic shoe, because I had just moved half way across the world to Dubai by myself and it was the first time I truly stepped out of my comfort zone. These were the first pair of Nike sneakers I had ever bought for myself and it represented a subliminal sign from the universe that I was on the right path by choosing to follow my passion to Dubai.
After a few months of settling into the city, my love for sneakers intensified and I grew fascinated by Dubai's emerging sneaker subculture. I noticed myself unintentionally observing random pedestrians as they passed me by in the streets and admiring the design of their shoes. Back in 2017, the notion of 'limited editions' was a fairly new concept, but in Dubai it seemed as though everyone has already caught on the trend.
One day, I was working my regular concierge shift in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Business Bay. When suddenly an entourage of high-fashion creatives entered the building, making a grand entrance that immediately made everyone stop what they were doing. I gazed up from my work desk in awe. Ten of the most stylish people I had ever laid eyes on were standing in front of me, styled from head to toe in bold avant-garde streetwear. I nudged my co-worker beside me.
"Who are these people?" I could not stop admiring their outfits, each one had their own distinct aura of individualism expressed through garments.
"Oh, that's the creative director team of Puma Middle East, they booked out the hotel for the weekend." My co-worker explained, almost unbothered. Moments later, a guy passed me by in the lobby and the first thing I noticed was his bright yellow Air Jordans, the swoosh was deconstructed and sewed back on making it looked hand-crafted by design.
"Yo, nice kicks." was the first thing I said to him.
And that was actually how I met the legendary BLKPRL; aka Malik. His energy was so genuine when we first met, that even until today, I will always remember him by his sincerity during our brief exchange in the lobby.
"You should go to Sole DXB festival tomorrow." He started telling me.
"What is Sole DXB?" I asked, and the rest became history.
'When my Soul met Sole.'
I quickly came to discover that Sole DXB was an annual sneaker, art, music, and lifestyle festival that takes place in Dubai's fashion-forward 'Dubai Design District'. It is an event that celebrates self-expression and streetwear culture.
The Puma creative team I saw in the lobby of Renaissance Hotel that day almost came nothing close in comparison to the type of high-fashion streetwear I encountered at the festival itself. It was a beautiful culmination of emerging subcultures from around the world. The theme of the festival changes every year based on a city where the founders source their inspiration from. In 2017, the theme of Sole when I first attended was Japan, Tokyo.
I was mesmerised by the conceptual design and architectural elements of the venue. Replicas of high-rise Tokyo billboards in Japanese fonts and neon lights surrounded people as they navigated through the space. I felt like I was in a real-life video game simulation. Not knowing where to hold my gaze, as everything surrounding me was so refreshingly captivating and different. In that moment, I was completely enamoured and the concept of time seized to exist. Sole DXB felt like all my wildest ideas from my imagination were finally being acknowledged into a tangible realm of physical reality.
This festival was especially significant to me because it led me to fall in love with my best friend at the time. My heart was so full of life, so filled with joy and passion, that my energy began to resonate outwards into the universe which attracted that same energy back into my life in the form of my best friend, Branded Feliz.
We attended that festival together, like two kids immersed in a video game pretending to be lost in the streets of Tokyo, hooping basket ball, eating tacos, admiring sneakers, listening to GoldLink.
In that moment I realized how beautiful the concept of serendipity was in relation to time. Often in life, we have a fixated plan and when that plan does not work out the way we expect, our natural tendency is to get disappointed. However, those feelings are only temporary when considering the grander scheme of life. The key is to trust that the energy of the universe is re-directing you to where you are actually supposed to be 'in the right place, at the right time'. Serendipity; an unexpected, happy accident.
Who knew what would have happened if I had never met Malik and complimented him on his sneakers that day, would I have ever had the chance to experience Sole DXB and fall in love with my best friend? Who knows.
But that is what makes life so intriguingly complex and mysteriously beautiful. Simply 'not knowing' and just trusting that what is meant for you, will find you...
Whether it is a person, a place, or even a god damn pair of sneakers.
Thank you, 2017.
芸術と魂
Comentários