The new Foot Locker Behind Her Label platform will be dedicated to the exclusive capsule collections of the next generation of female designers.
It will be inaugurated in April by the European capsule collection by London-based designer Aida Kiraya, aka Afro Kickz, consisting of 50 pairs of Vans inspired by her African heritage.
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The purpose of the internationally launched initiative is reducing the gender gap in streetwear culture. The campaign is part of Powered By You, the Foot Locker platform that looks to the future with the eyes of inclusion and diversity. With Behind Her Label, each collaborator will have the opportunity to create an exclusive collection of products that will be sold in Foot Locker stores in their hometown and on Foot Locker EU e-commerce.
Carmen Seman, Foot Locker's Vice President of Marketing in Europe, said: “Through Behind Her Label, our mission is to help bridge the gender gap in streetwear culture, providing resources and a platform for emerging female streetwear designers . We are excited about the collaborations with local designers; they are unique, extremely talented and their love for streetwear culture shines through in their respective collections ”.
Aida, the first designer on the platform, created her own brand of Afro Kickz custom sneakers in 2018, drawing heavily on African tradition and modern black culture. Despite the effort, growing up in north London, to be able to truly embrace the African heritage, once she found it she could no longer abandon it. Afro Kickz is the result of this personal, cultural and stylistic discovery, combined with the love for sneakers.
Aida Kiraya said: “My work is inspired by African and black culture; be it from other artists or inspiring figures or from different parts of African culture. I really think it's important to celebrate African culture because growing up I didn't have that many people to look up to. Also, I don't think women get a lot of recognition when it comes to streetwear, especially in my field of work. I think it's really important to highlight women in streetwear, not many people think women are actually behind the models they see - when I started customizing, a lot of people were always thinking I was a guy. "
After launching in London in April, Behind Her Label will also arrive in Paris and Milan, and later in the Middle East.
Image: Foot Locker Press Office
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