Patta
Patta oozes cool, and I don’t think anyone is going to argue the ethos either, born “out of love and necessity rather than profit and novelty”, Patta opened its doors in 2004 as the brainchild of two stalwarts of the Dutch Hip-Hop scene in the 90s and early 2000s – Edson Sabajo and Guillaume’ Gee’ Schmidt. What started as a hobby, has now flourished into a thriving business and recognisable brand, so much so, that collaboration for Patta really isn’t that hard to come by. The Amsterdam based brand has previously worked alongside three of the trainer world’s most prominent brands – Nike, Adidas & Reebok, as well as a whole host of other brands that fall under the streetwear umbrella. A just-do-it-yourself mentality and the willingness to go against the grain are at the foundation of Patta’s identity, and that is all part of what makes Patta such an appealing prospect for a lot of potential collaborators.
Patta x Jordan lookbook
Over the years Patta has graced us with some jaw-dropping forays into the trainer world, and none more so than their upcoming interpretation of the Air Jordan 7 silhouette which drops as part of a larger lookbook which includes a truly dope apparel component. The collection consists of a tracksuit, shorts, T-shirt and beanie hat, all of which comes in an eye-catching archival print complete with “Team Patta” branding and the label’s signature script logo, as well as, of course, their own take on the Air Jordan 7. When asked about the collaboration, Patta’s Guillaume Schmidt gave us some insight on why they settled on the Air Jordan 7 as a base, and went on the explain the relevance of the model which was first launched in 1992. As Schmidt so insightfully puts, it “was a golden era for hip-hop and a big year for me, a lot of very important albums that I still carry with me came out between ’92 and ’96. And aesthetically, those years had such colourful imagery and strong connections to black empowerment.” This gives us a strong indication of the inspiration behind this capsules theme, and straight away you can see from the colour palette of all the pieces that it somewhat cohesively fits the nostalgic elements it is based on.
Patta x Air Jordan 7
Naturally, as this is Laced, for us the star of the show is the thing you can put on your feet. After seeing it being showcased on the feet of Neymar Jnr in no small part thanks to Jordan’s ties with his club Paris St. Germain and just because Neymar is a stylish guy, I couldn’t help but be won over by the shoe before I even took a closer look. Dressed in a tonal brown colourway, with a light brown leather upper overlaid with suede and plastic panels in a darker shade, the Patta x Air Jordan 7s probably most stand-out detail, however, comes in the form of its Patta’s script logo, which repeatedly features on its midsole. Along with other detailing which includes the red embroidered Jumpman logo, “Team Patta” heel tab and a multi-coloured tongue with sections in red, brown and burgundy. “The products that we worked on come straight from a short Jordan clip from Barcelona that became super famous,” explained Schmidt. “It features a segment where Michael walks past a huge billboard of himself where he’s got the shoes on, and that image has been forever etched in my memory.” The Patta x Jordan 7 feels like a merger of nostalgia and new ideas and that for me personally is where we find the best creations, it’s a collaboration that speaks to many generations and yet is still is very much relevant in 2019, not to mention it looks great too.
Patta x Nike
Obviously, this isn’t the first time Patta have collaborated with heavyweight footwear tycoons, with the Amsterdam based brand previously dropping a set of premium Anniversary Air Max 1s to celebrate the boutiques fifth year of business, as well as a host of other iD Nike Air Max 90s and 95s. Without a doubt, Patta is a relatively young contributor to the scene, but that hasn’t deterred them from making a significant footprint on the broader trainer landscape, and this partnership with Jordan only further cements their place in amongst the very best footwear collaborators in the land. I, for one, can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.
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