“I just designed TF outta my Air Issa’s” read a Thursday tweet by Tristen Winger—also known as Issa Rae’s hilariously cryptic, gang-banging neighbor “Thug Yoda” on Insecure. At this point, it’s no secret Rae is an all-star—seriously, is there any creative genre this woman hasn’t put her magic touch on, as of late? But as the multi-hyphenate prepares to end the Insecure era, she kicked off another collab—literally—debuting her customizable Converse By You Chuck 70 collection on July 1.
Per a press release from Converse provided to The Glow Up:
Rae continues to break barriers through creativity as a game-changing actress, writer, producer and mentor to the Converse All Star Community, and for her first ever customizable collection with Converse By You, Rae enlisted young creative, Nicky Fulcher, to collaborate with her on a take of the Chuck 70 as a part of the ongoing Converse All Stars program.
“[I]t was all about empowering the next generation to get up and DO what it is they aspire to do,” said Rae in a statement. “So the team took some of my personal affirmations and approaches to life, and put them into the design of the shoe.”
Unsurprisingly, one of those affirmations is “Do It All”—and of course, the woman rooting for everybody Black chose a Black artist to help execute her vision. As the Nike-owned Converse notes, the “Fulcher, a first generation Haitian American, shares common experiences with Rae as young, Black creatives with values rooted in the importance of self-expression, creativity and identity—which ultimately power the collection’s design.” The duo worked closely with the Converse design team to conceive “a unique assortment of graphic phrases and color palettes to fit Issa’s vision.”
“To have the opportunity to collaborate with Issa is a dream come true, not because of who she is, but what she stands for,” said the Los Angeles-based Fulcher. “The collection is based around Issa’s creative process and how positive affirmations play a vital role in her process,” he further explained on Instagram. “Was a pleasure working with Issa and the Converse team, a lot of late nights and early mornings, but we did it!”
Interested in building your own Issa Rae By You? The customizable Chuck 70 collection—which includes five base colorways—is available now at Converse.com.