New products : Converse And Maison Martin Margiela Join Forces For First-Time Collaboration

The Converse Maison Martin Margiela sneaker collection uses signature white overpaint making each pair unique. 

Converse Inc. announced its all-new collection with avant-garde French fashion house Maison Martin Margiela. The first-time Converse Maison Martin Margiela collaboration features the Chuck Taylor All Star and the Jack Purcell sneakers, each completely hand-painted in Maison Martin Margiela’s iconic white paint. Covering all canvas, eyelets, laces and soles, they naturally crack and shed their outer coat of paint to reveal the original colors beneath.


“Converse is thrilled to partner with Maison Martin Margiela. The collection perfectly embodies each brand’s spirit of individuality and self-expression unifying Converse and Margiela’s conviction of unleashing creativity,” says Matt Sleep, Converse Senior First String Designer.

Founded in 1988, Maison Martin Margiela is a fashion house which has always followed its own path, often outside the conventional fashion framework. Maison Martin Margiela’s collections are known for reinventing volumes, modifying shapes, and changing the original use and movement of garments, derailing the classic notions of fashion. Through recycling, transformation and reinterpretation, their identity aligns perfectly with Converse‘s philosophy of being a platform for creativity.

The personality of the Converse Maison Martin Margiela 1970s Chuck Taylor All Star and Jack Purcell sneakers is discovered through an evolving dialogue between the bold colored canvas and clean paint. The more the sneakers are worn, the more their personality and color is revealed. “The Maison has always been obsessed with white; it is used as a layer to give an incognito feeling. A sort of poetry, with the passage of time, the shoe asserts itself,” says Maison Martin Margiela.

The styles are available in four color ways based on heritage colors from the Converse archives: red, black, navy, and Margiela-exclusive vintage yellow, and are lined in premium off-white leather.

Converse First String is a limited-edition collection that celebrates craftsmanship, authenticity and collaboration at the highest level. The Converse Maison Martin Margiela sneakers will be available for purchase globally in September at Margiela stores, and at select Converse First String retailers for a suggested retail is $200USD/200€.

ABOUT CONVERSE 

Converse Inc., based in N. Andover, Massachusetts, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Established in 1908, the Converse brand has built a reputation as “America’s Original Sports Company”™ and has been associated with a rich heritage of legendary shoes such as the Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe, the Jack Purcell® shoe and the One Star® shoe. Today, Converse offers a diverse portfolio including lifestyle men's, women's and children’s footwear, apparel and accessories. Converse product is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries and through 79 company-owned retail locations in the U.S. For more information, visit Media.Converse.com.

ABOUT MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA

Maison Martin Margiela is a French fashion house founded in 1988. A cross-section between fashion and design, the Maison presents Haute Couture and ready-to-wear collections and indulges in leather goods, footwear, accessories, fragrances, interior design and furniture. In 2002 Maison Martin Margiela joined OTB, the holding company of Diesel, Marni, Viktor&Rolf, Staff International and Brave Kids.


PRESS CONTACTS
Converse                                                                       
Lacy Pica     / 646-563-7830 / lacy.pica@converse.com                     
HL Group
Kelly Ricci    /  646-460-8907 / kricci@hlgrp.com
Maison Martin Margiela presse@margiela.com