I comunicati stampa di "Converse" nel 2008

1. CONVERSE CELEBRATES A CENTURY OF ORIGINALITY AND POP ICON STATUS AS THE FIRST IN SPORTS AND FIRST IN MUSIC - 2/27/2008
From Basketball Courts to Garage Bands to Art Studios, Converse Commemorates 100 Years of Being Worn by True Originals

North Andover, MASS (February 1, 2008) – In 2008, Converse Inc. will commemorate its centennial year as one of the world’s most coveted, iconic brands. From the invention of the All Star® shoe in 1917 to the African-American barnstorming teams of the 1920s and 1930s, to the birth of the NBA and rock ‘n’ roll to today’s pop culture, so many of those who have disrupted the status quo and changed history have worn Converse. The Converse centennial and stories of the true originals who’ve worn the brand, will be told through product, advertising, retail displays and online components throughout the year.
“Converse is the footwear company that was first in sports and first in rock ‘n’ roll, and we will continue to be the brand that inspires originality for the next 100 years,” said Jack Boys, Converse CEO. “Converse has gained tremendous momentum with our recent resurgence in performance basketball. We evolved our footwear collaboration with John Varvatos, one of the world’s most renowned fashion designers, to launch Converse’s men’s and women’s premium apparel business called ‘Converse by John Varvatos’ in Fall 2006. And this year, we launched our long-term partnership with (PRODUCT) RED™ to help assist in the global emergency and epidemic of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Africa. We are extremely proud of our heritage and excited about the momentum we have as we embark on our next 100 years.”
The year will be a celebration of the people who have made Converse the cultural icon it is today by incorporating original designs, product collaborations and re-issues of classic shoes into the Converse Century footwear collection. The collection, which will roll out throughout 2008, includes new variations on timeless classics and all-new product that blends modern design with Converse originality.
The sports-inspired collections range from the Black Fives®, the first professional African-American basketball teams circa 1920s, to tennis originals Converse pioneered in the 1970s and 1980s, to the basketball stars of today. Converse will bring back the original 1917 All Star shoe, the Pro Leather shoe that graced many of the stars of 1970s pro basketball and the Weapon, which ruled basketball courts in the 1980s. In an exclusive three-pack series, called the “What If” packs, Converse will tell the stories of early players of the Harlem Renaissance, basketball legends of the 1970s and current NBA star Dwyane Wade. The “What If” packs contain a signature shoe for each player if they had played on the same team in the same basketball era. Each includes the All Star Revolution, the Converse 0100, and the Wade 3 shoes.
To coincide with Converse’s centennial the brand will also launch Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists, a year-long global curation project designed to celebrate and preserve culture to further support Converse’s long-term partnership with (PRODUCT) REDTM. Enlisting artists across the world, Converse collaborated with artists from a wide-range of disciplines and levels of notoriety from fine artists to art students, rock stars to indie bands, and fashion designers to graphic artists. One of culture’s great blank canvases, generations of artists have been scribbling on the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe for decades and Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists gives artists the opportunity to use their creative power to design a variety of Converse (PRODUCT) RED footwear with the goal of celebrating culture and supporting The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Converse Century is also told through specific footwear designs marking the pivotal points in music history with early Rhythm and Blues circa 1930s, Psychedelic Folk and the rise of Funk circa 1960s and 1970s on up to 1980s-inspired punk.
Cultural stories from the Converse history books will also be unveiled to showcase the brand’s key role in culture throughout the decades. These stories include the Handsketched Flower Print collection circa 1940s, which references patterns and colors of the decade. Buffalo Check Plaid and Ombre Plaid recalls the popular look throughout the 1950s, while the Scout collection marks the brand’s little known involvement in the popular youth organizations.
The Converse Century footwear collection will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com throughout 2008.

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 premium lifestyle men's and women's footwear and apparel. Converse product is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries and through 25 company-owned retail locations in the U.S. For more information, visit Converse on the web at www.converse.com.




2. CONVERSE LAUNCHES SPRING 2008 “CONVERSE 1HUND(RED) ARTISTS” GLOBAL CURATION PROJECT IN SUPPORT OF CONVERSE (PRODUCT) RED - 2/27/2008
Limited Edition Shoes Include Designs and Artwork by Michael White Brother of The Late Dondi White, Dr. Romanelli, Gary Koepke and Jeremyville

North Andover, MASS (January 15, 2008) – Converse announces the launch of Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists, a year-long global curation project designed to promote and preserve culture to further support Converse’s long-term partnership with (PRODUCT) RED and commemorate the brand’s centennial celebration in 2008. Enlisting artists around the world, Converse procured people with a wide-range of disciplines and levels of notoriety from fine artists to art students, rock stars to indie bands, and fashion designers to graphic artists. The Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe is one of pop culture’s great blank canvases and has inspired generations of artists who have been scribbling on the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe for decades. Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists gives artists the opportunity to use their creative power to design a variety of Converse footwear styles with the goal of celebrating culture with a portion of the sales being contributed to The Global Fund to help fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and specifically funding HIV/AIDS programs in Africa that focus on the health of women and children.
“For more than five generations Converse has exemplified the spirit of originality. Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists program is a remarkable endeavor bringing global artists, designers and musicians together in support of (PRODUCT) RED. We were honored to have such an overwhelming response and interest in this exciting initiative which enables our consumers to become vehicles of change,” said Jack Boys, Converse CEO.
Coinciding with Converse’s centennial celebration in 2008 the significance of “100” is louder than a number, bigger than an individual and it becomes a way to turn art into power. Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists presents artists and consumers with an opportunity to become agents of change.
The innovative design results from each artist are wildly varied and extraordinarily detailed. Each design will have a unique number located inside the shoe that identifies the artist who created the shoe. The numbers will correspond to a page on www.converse.com that will include information about the artist, design inspirations and more details about the project. A special collaboration with Michael White, incorporating the artwork of his late brother Dondi White, will serve as the first of 100 among the Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists designs. Other limited edition shoe design highlights announced for Spring 2008 include Dr. Romanelli, Gary Koepke and Jeremyville. Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists will debut a total of 100 designs in its seasonal collections throughout 2008.
The Spring 08 Converse (PRODUCT) RED footwear collections include a premium collection of limited edition designs and a full collection of original product that will be available in stores and on www.converse.com beginning January 2008. Product designs will include variations on the Chuck Taylor All Star, Jack Purcell®, Weapon®, Pro Leather 76, Skidgrip® and Pro Team shoes.
10% of the net wholesale price of CONVERSE 1HUND(RED) Artists footwear will go to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland). No part of the purchase price is deductible under U.S. law. (PRODUCT) RED was created by Bono (U2, singer and activist) and Bobby Shriver to deliver a sustainable flow of private sector money to The Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs with an emphasis on the health of women and children.


About (RED)™ and (PRODUCT) RED
(RED)’s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help fight AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT) RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only), Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Motorola and Hallmark. MySpace.com is the first media sponsor in the United Kingdom and MTV Networks is the first media sponsor in the US.
Since its launch in the spring of 2006, the (RED) initiative has generated more than $50 million for the Global Fund. (RED) money is already at work in Swaziland, Rwanda and Ghana.
For more information, visit www.joinred.com.

About The Global Fund
Since its creation in 2002, The Global Fund has become the dominant financer of programs to fight AIDS, TB and malaria, having approved funding of US$ 8.4 billion in 136 countries. As of June 2007, programs supported by The Global Fund have averted 1.8 million deaths through providing AIDS treatment for 1.1 million people, TB treatment for 2.8 million people, and through the distribution of 30 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria worldwide. The Global Fund is a public-private partnership, governed by representatives of governments, the private sector and civil society from all over the world. It enables countries to design and execute their own programs, but provides funds only on the basis of proven results. It is a lean institution with operating costs of less than 3%, ensuring that resources go directly to where they are needed most. The Global Fund needs additional resources from all sectors to continue scaling up the support for life-saving work around the world. For more information about The Global Fund, visit: www.theglobalfund.org.




3. CONVERSE LAUNCHES GLOBAL SPRING 2008 “CONNECTIVITY” ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN TO CELEBRATE A CENTURY IN MUSIC, ART, SPORTS AND FASHION - 2/27/2008


(N. ANDOVER, MASS – February 25, 2008) – In 2008 Converse Inc. will commemorate its centennial year as one of the world’s most coveted, iconic brands with the global launch of a new advertising campaign entitled “Connectivity.” This new campaign celebrates 100 years of disrupting the status quo and features legendary icons from the worlds of music, art, sports and fashion. Rolling out around the world from February 2008, “Connectivity” is a striking artistic showcase of true originals who define the essence of the Converse brand since 1908. The advertising visually ‘connects’ past and present Converse icons brought together by their optimistic rebellion and homage to the Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe.
Legendary icons featured in the global campaign include the ultimate 20th Century rebel, James Dean; gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson; and Sex Pistols bassist and original punk idol, Sid Vicious. These cultural heroes from the past are shown ‘connecting’ with today’s influencers including female rocker, Joan Jett; eclectic urban music star, M.I.A; Green Day’s infamous Grammy award winning front man, Billie Joe Armstrong; Grammy award winning hip hop star and actor, Common; basketball player and Converse athlete Dwyane Wade; and lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Karen O. Additional regional icons include Ian Curtis (UK), Jefferson Hack (UK), Carlos Diez Diez (Spain), Jane Birkin (France), Nina Hagen (Germany), Kim, Jung Man (Korea), Cui Jian (China), Darren Cordeux (Australia), Jose Fernando Emilio (Mexico) and Sandro (Argentina).
“Converse is the footwear company that was first in sports and first in rock ‘n’ roll. We are extremely proud of our history and excited about our journey into the next century. Connectivity is an exceptional global campaign that fully captures our spirit and brand ethos celebrating true originals. The campaign is bold and iconic saluting those people - past and present - who push the boundaries of creativity, who inspire originality and who embody the values of the brand.” said Geoff Cottrill, Chief Marketing Officer, Converse.
The global advertising campaign will be unveiled in over 75 countries across the EMEA, Asia Pacific and the Americas via a mix of impactful print and outdoor, digital and integrated brand marketing executions. Regional adaptations of “Connectivity” will roll out locally throughout Spring 2008 with country specific Converse icons joining the campaign and legendary line-up. “Connectivity” is a fully integrated marketing campaign created by New York City based creative agency Anomaly using distinctive and optimistically rebellious creative direction completely shot in monochrome and using hand-painted straplines and logo placement. For more information about Converse and the campaign visit www.converse.com.




4. CONVERSE UNVEILS THE SPRING 2008 “GET CHUCKED” ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN SHOT BY CELEBRATED PHOTOGRAPHER RYAN MCGINLEY - 2/5/2008


North Andover, MASS (February 5, 2008) – Converse unveils the Spring 2008 “Get Chucked” advertising campaign in support of “Converse by John Varvatos”, the company’s premium men’s and women’s apparel and footwear collections. The latest campaign captures the brand’s bold irreverence while paying homage to Converse disrupting the status quo since 1908.
Shot by renowned photographer Ryan McGinley, the campaign was staged at a Spanish style house tucked away in the Hollywood Hills. Yard, the creative agency behind the campaign, worked closely with John Varvatos to capture Converse’s youthful and carefree spirit. McGinley infused his famed photographic sensibility by capturing a surreal, dreamlike quality to the images creating a distinct fine arts feel to the ads. Both images inject a tongue-and-cheek flirty attitude by the models Heather Marks and David Norbert, wearing sexy water-drenched looks to convey the playful and provocative “Get Chucked” attitude.
“Following up on the big success of our "Get Chucked” campaigns, this season we wanted a more refined evolution yet keeping the irreverent sensibility that is part of the heritage. Ryan McGinley was an easy choice, as his work fit in perfectly. The whole experience of this shoot was so much fun, and the pictures capture the moment brilliantly,” said John Varvatos.
Ryan McGinley began documenting his friends and the Lower East Side subculture in New York City when he was a teenager, quickly catching the fine art community’s eye with a show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where at age 25 he was the youngest person ever to be given a solo exhibition. McGinley’s work has since appeared in prestigious publications such as i-D, Interview, New York Times Magazine, V, and W, allowing him to broaden his subject matter to include Olympic athletes, artists and other visionaries in their familiar settings. He was also selected to present the CFDA/Swarovski Award video at the most recent CFDA awards and was recently honored at the Guggenheim Young Collectors Council Artist’s Ball.
“We wanted to create images that bewitch the viewer and engage him more than a typical advertising campaign might. The Converse by John Varvatos brand marries the sophistication of the runway with a playful irreverence that challenges convention, and this evolution of the ‘Get Chucked’ concept highlights that contrast of rebellious and refined,” explains Stephen Niedzwiecki, founder and creative director of YARD. “So much of fashion advertising is about telling you what to think. By injecting the tensions of Ryan's photographic vision into this campaign, we're asking: What do you think?”
The print campaign will appear beginning February in international and national publications including Dazed and Confused, Details, Elle, GQ, i-D, Interview, L’Uomo Vogue, The Daily, V, and Vogue and on digital sites including Men.Style.com and Style.com. Outdoor advertising includes billboard placements, bus shelters and banners in metro Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas locations.
The Spring 08 men’s and women’s collections offer a range of high-end vintage inspired knits, wovens, tops, t-shirts, dresses, tailored jackets, bottoms, leathers and outerwear pieces driven by new color palettes and inventive clothing combinations. Items will be available at high-end department and specialty stores in late January 2008. For Spring/Summer 2008, Converse by John Varvatos continues to expand its premium footwear offering with the launch of two new and inventive styles that work effortlessly back to the apparel collection, the Chuck Taylor® All Star® Studded & Painted and Jack Purcell® Vantage footwear styles. Both offerings will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in February.

About John Varvatos
Launched in 2000, the John Varvatos lifestyle collection is comprised of John Varvatos Collection, John Varvatos  USA, Converse by John Varvatos - clothes for guys and girls, John Varvatos Eyewear, and John Varvatos SKIN and Fragrance. Varvatos has been recognized three times by the CFDA with an American Fashion Award for New Menswear Designer (June 2000) and Menswear Designer of the Year (June 2001 and June 2005). In December 2007, John Varvatos was honored as GQ’s “Designer of the Year” in the 12th Annual GQ “Men of the Year” issue. The collection is distributed in five freestanding John Varvatos boutiques in the US, as well as in better specialty stores throughout the world. www.johnvarvatos.com

About YARD
Since its founding in 2002, YARD has conceptualized, art directed, and produced an award-winning range of work in print and television advertising, packaging, editorial, and product design. YARD is a hybrid creative agency that blends the expertise of a style-driven fashion shop with that of a consumer-minded ad agency. By marrying an artistic eye for image-making with a strategic gut for brand-building, YARD creates arresting visuals that drive contemporary culture while crafting relevant storylines that resonate with the targets of fashion clients such as John Varvatos, Converse and LeSportsac, beauty clients like Bobbi Brown, Henri Bendel, and Liz Claiborne Cosmetics, and entertainment clients like WEtv, Lifetime and MTV. www.yardnyc.com




5. CONVERSE AND BASKETBALL STAR KYLE KORVER TEAM UP WITH EASTBAY FOR ALL STAR DESIGN CONTEST - 5/8/2008
Converse and Eastbay launch MyChucks design contest on Eastbay.com

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (May 9, 2008) – Converse, with an assist from Utah Jazz star Kyle Korver, today announced the launch of MyChucks, a contest inviting participants to design a Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe with the chance to win the ultimate prize of having their shoe produced by Converse and sold exclusively by Eastbay.
The Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe is one of pop culture’s great blank canvases and has been worn by icons and originals spanning from music, sports, art and fashion who have been scribbling their expressions on the shoe for decades. MyChucks gives contestants the chance to bring their own creativity to the Converse canvas and showcase their design to the world.
As part of the contest, Kyle Korver submitted his own design of the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe which will be featured online, along with a video of him designing his shoe and explaining the process. Korver’s shoe features pinstripes to represent all of the people in his life, and a red stripe to represent himself and his desire to be an original. Converse will produce 226 pairs of the shoe, which pays homage to Korver’s jersey number 26, and will be donated to the Kyle Korver Foundation, whose mission is to make a positive impact on the lives of under-privileged children by improving the quality of life for disadvantaged youth and their families.
“My grandmother was an art teacher and she helped begin my interest in design at a young age. I enjoyed it so much that I majored in visual communications in college, and I’ve had a passion for art and design ever since,” said Utah Jazz forward Kyle Korver. “I’m known as a basketball player but basketball isn’t everything that defines me, and I’ve always looked for opportunities to express myself off the court. I’m very excited for the MyChucks contest because it gives people the opportunity to express themselves by using the most iconic shoe of all time.”
To enter, contestants can visit mychucks.eastbay.com to download the entry kit which contains a silhouette of the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe and contest instructions. Participants need to submit a scanned image of their design and a 20-30 second video explaining their entry. Submissions will be placed in an online, public gallery where visitors can vote on each design. Visitors to the website can also register for a chance to win a new pair of Chuck Taylor All Star shoes every day between April 28 and July 6.
The top five designs with the most votes will enter the final round of judging which is determined by the total number of votes, and the judging of artistic ability, creative expression and overall design by a panel from Converse and Eastbay. The Grand Prize will be announced on or about July 11, 2008 on mychucks.eastbay.com. The winner will be flown to Converse headquarters to work with designers and developers and create the final version of the shoe, which will be produced and sold on Eastbay.com beginning in January 2009. To be eligible for the MyChucks contests, participants must be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. resident and enter their design by June 8, 2008.

About Kyle Korver
Known as one the game’s premier three-point threats since joining the league with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2003, Korver was traded to the Utah Jazz in December 2007 and provided a scoring boost off the bench that helped drive Utah to a 35-12 record since his acquisition and the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. With a career average of 10.4 ppg and over 40 percent accuracy from three-point range, the sharp-shooting forward also owned the top free throw shooting percentage in the 2006-07 season (91.7 percent). The 51st overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Korver helped lead Creighton University to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and was named Second-Team All-American his senior season.

About Eastbay
Eastbay is a subsidiary of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,800 athletic retail stores in 21 countries in North America, Europe and Australia. Through its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channel Footlocker.com/Eastbay, the Company is the leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel. For more details about Eastbay, visit http://www.eastbay.com/.




6. CONVERSE 1HUND(RED) ARTISTS ARTIST BIOS AND PRODUCT FACT SHEET FALL/HOLIDAY 2008 - 6/3/2008


Colletivo Design (Artist #22)
Sao Paulo-based Colletivo Design’s four main partners came together in 2003 when they were doing their final project at art school. According to Bergamasco, one of the members, “We had so much fun and we knew it was the right moment to start our own business.” Now they’ve been in shows in France, Brazil and New York, as well as working for big name clients. Still, Bergamasco says, “Art is my personal expression and to use it for such a noble cause really thrills me. Art is the most subtle and original way mankind uses to express itself. If art represents how people think, it can also be used to change the way people think.” Remarking on their Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists design, Bergamasco explains that while an octopus typically has eight legs, Colletivo Design made one with 100. To go along with all those legs, the mythic sea creature “has one big eye.” “Like a single mind thinking as one, while the 100 arms embrace the AIDS issue and fight back.”
Colletivo Design’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $75 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).
Grandpeople (Artist #37)
Grandpeople, a Norwegian design studio established in 2005, has quickly built a name for itself through its innovative design in fashion, music, art, advertising and culture. Bergen-based, Grandpeople turned to spooky Norse mythology for their Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists design. A “draugen,” which is the Norse meaning for the word ghost, serves as the imagery for their shoe. Rumored to be a harbinger of death, draugens haunt fishermen in particular. “It was our take on nature and fairytales from Scandinavia. In an abstract way that is,” says Grandpeople’s creative director Magnus Voll Mathiassen. The mythic character is drawn with a Japanese pencil in swirls across the side of a Chuck Taylor All Star shoe. Grandpeople’s design also has that feeling of the hyper-detailed drawings kids do on their spiral notebooks in the back row of math class in seventh grade. “We wanted this idea of the Draugen as a figure that cannot easily be tamed with wisps of smoke that has its own life, like organisms and bacteria,” Mathiassen explains. “Often folklore makes a point or gives you a guideline on how to avoid meeting the darker side of life, but we didn’t just want to be ‘fun’ or ‘cool’ for this. We wanted to create a powerful reminder.”
Grandpeople’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $54 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).
Ginger Jones (Artist #25)
Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Ginger moved to Portland, OR a few years ago and found herself homeless and living in the backroom of a gallery. Reveling in the ease of Portland life versus New York City, she also managed djing [what is this word supposed to be?] and styling photo shoots and a couple years later, launched her own clothing line called Truffles. The line has been picked up by edgy boutiques in Portland, Los Angeles and New York and Jones has now developed an enviable reputation for any aspiring designer. To keep her life balanced and grounded, she also handcrafts tofu with a local Oregon-based family run cottage industry. For her Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists shoe Ginger drew inspiration from mosquito netting used to prevent malaria. “In Africa malaria infections have actually increased over the last three decades. It’s an unnecessary cause of death in children there,” she says. “I hope my design creates an invitation to playfully interpret what flows into our lives.”
Ginger Jones’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $64 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).
Warwick Kay (Orange Juice Design) (Artist #17)
After apartheid, South Africa had an identity crisis both visually and culturally. As a new country what was it, what did it represent - this is where Durban, South African-based Orange Juice Design comes in. Founded by Garth Walker, the firm was the hero/savior/founder of a new South African aesthetic. “After the 1994 election (when Mandella was elected) we needed to reflect the culture we live in,” says Walker. OJ’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists shoe was designed by Warwick Kay, one of OJ’s youngest members. It is made of icons—a crown, red ribbon, Africa itself—and has the feel of a hand-painted sign you might find by the roadside. “I wanted to portray hope and victory while the ribbon wraps around and embraces Africa,” Kay explains. “I wanted the design to be positive, to show that AIDS in Africa can be helped and that there can be victory.”
Warwick Kay’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $62 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).
Mister Never (Artist #43)
Cooking and comic books are easily two of the biggest influences in Mister Never’s life. “Mister Never” is the alter-ego of Brooklyn, New York-based graffiti artist and painter Greg Burdett and could well be his super-hero identity. In fact, he says, “Now with my Converse shoe, I’m one step closer to having an entire super hero costume. Just watch out for the Mister Never cape and cowel.” Burdett started writing graffiti when he was in high school, and in his early twenties decided to dump the culinary arts and his job as a chef at high-end restaurants to devote himself full-time to his first love, art. And while you can still find his favorite recipes on his website, Burdett hasn’t been tempted to return to cooking. Instead he co-founded the international street art collective Project SF, and has shown work in Boston, DC, New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. For his Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists shoe, he layered pink, white and blue paint splatters in a thick impasto. “I thought if I could use these colors to paint the names of the hundreds of thousands of men, women and children that die from AIDS every year, this is what my shoes would look like—covered in layers and layers of paint.”
Mister Never’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $59 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).
Amy Ruppel (Artist #19)
Amy Ruppel is a freelance illustrator and Web designer, based in Portland, Oregon. She also produces photography and animation, but has become globally recognized for her paintings, which she approaches with a design mindset. “I basically paint with fire,” Amy says. What she means is that she takes photos and covers them with melted beeswax, spreading it over the surface “quickly” and then smoothing it all out with a propane torch. Despite the tools of her trade, Amy’s art has a decidedly Pacific Northwest feel covered with birds and nests. “I love wild birds, from the littlest titmouse to the clever scheming crow and awe-inspiring great blue herons,” she says. Owls emblazon her Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists shoe. “They signify wisdom and I look up to them,” she explains. “You know, when you see a bird fly overhead, you have a lift in your heart—even if for a second.”
Amy Ruppel’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $69 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).
Michael Schall (Artist #33)
Somewhere between the poles of sci-fi flicks and Dutch master paintings is the work of Brooklyn, New
York-based Michael Schall. Detailed and intricate, his drawings create a fantasy world exploring technology and culture. Now a rising star on the global gallery circuit, his work has been shown in Europe and New York. One of the key symbols in his fictional universe is pipe fittings. Depicted in the natural environment they represent progress in his work. For his Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists shoe, Schall wanted to use the fittings against the canvas of a Chuck Taylor All Star shoe. “I thought they would be a good way to talk about change.” Plus, he explains, it’s not hard to make the connections from pipes to the circulatory system. He also wanted his design to embody (PRODUCT) RED itself. “I wanted the design to represent a collective effort, so I wanted my shoe to be a system of 100 individual elements working together. You know,” he says, “in the history of art and culture, I don’t think an artist has ever started a revolution, but there have been plenty of artists that have galvanized one.”
Michael Schall’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $54 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).
Laura Trowbridge (Artist #31)
Boston, Massachusetts-based art student Laura Trowbridge’s 1HUND(RED) design was inspired by a pussy willow twig she picked up on her way to school one spring morning. “I was sitting in class,” she says, “we were being shown slides, so the room was dark except for one light source. I started tracing shadows from the pussy willow into my notebook and thought it looked cool.” The painting major returned to the drawing when her art history teacher had Converse design staff come in to talk about the mud cloth shoe that had been developed for Converse (PRODUCT) RED. They also brought blank shoes for students to work on. Trowbridge’s elegant, Japanese-looking design was chosen for the Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists project much to her glee. “I thought the pussy willow would work. It symbolizes spring and renewal and mostly life,” she says. “And (RED) is about giving people life.”
Laura Trowbridge’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $54 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).
UPSO (aka Dustin Amery Hostetler) (Artist #6)
Dustin Amery Hostetler, also known in the art and design world as UPSO, lives and works in Toledo, Ohio. The pseudonym comes from Hostetler’s college days, when he used to paint small spacemen for his own amusement. “They wore really ornate costumes and I felt they needed a NASA-like organization, so I came up with UPSO which stands for United Planets Space Organization. Over time, it stuck with me,” he explained. An internationally exhibited artist, he also runs a design firm called Studio Sans Nom with his wife and business partner, and is the publisher of the art magazine Faesthetic. In addition, he has curated group art shows in multiple cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Speaking about his artistic style, he says, “My work is very personal. There are a lot of references to my actual life in the pieces I make for gallery shows as well as commercial/commissioned pieces. Whether it’s my own
body parts (hands, eyes, mouth, etc.) or just thoughts I’m having, I’ve always treated my art as an extension of my thoughts.” He regards the role of artists in society as articulators or chroniclers of human emotion. When it came time to design his Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists submission, Hostetler called upon mythic iconography. “The lightning bolt design represents empowerment. I wanted to create an image that conveys the strength of this campaign arising from personal involvement. On the inside of each insole are 50 lightning bolts, for a total of 100 for the pair. The design shows a rather dark exterior, but once you pull back the tongue, you see a bright neon blue insole with lightning bolts,” he explained. “I’m hoping the concept of ‘looking inside’ will come across to people. The design suggests that all of the power in finding a cure comes from the will of individuals to get involved.”
UPSO’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $49 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).
Yuko Yabuki (Artist #21)
Multi-visual artist Yuko Yabuki started her career as a graphic designer in Tokyo, Japan doing mainly freelance design for punk rock projects and fashion. As a Japanese native, her travels to Phoenix, Arizona served as inspiration for the start of her fine arts career. She now paints mostly intricate, fine compositions of portraits and dark imagery. She also sews costumes and collaborates with chorographers as well as designing collateral for musicians. Yabuki remembers her first pair of Converse when she was a little kid in Japan. “The Converse sneaker was always the shining star on the store shelf. The red star on the canvas symbolized the USA, this unknown country. I dreamt of putting my feet in that sneaker and then I got a pair of indigo blue high tops.” She explains that her family didn’t have a lot of money and getting the shoes “was a big deal for me then.” Now that she lives in Phoenix, Arizona, the artist describes it as a dream come true creating a Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists shoe. With a graphic that recalls tattoos of a golden dragon-slash-unicorn, she wanted to make “a symbol of one big energy to create change,” she says. “My own tattoos are more like prayers to me rather than cool graphics—each animal represents a family member. The art on my shoe is a ‘prayer’ for peace on earth.”
Yuko Yabuki’s Converse 1HUND(RED) Artist collaboration shoe will be available in June at select specialty retailers nationwide and online at www.converse.com. MSRP $64 with 10% of the net wholesale price going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).



7. CONVERSE (PRODUCT) RED DEBUTS ITS FALL/HOLIDAY 2008 CONVERSE 1HUND(RED) ARTISTS AND AFRICAN CANVAS FOOTWEAR COLLECTIONS - 6/3/2008


North Andover, MASS (June 2, 2008) – Converse debuts the second 1HUND(RED) Artists footwear collection for Fall/Holiday 2008, the brand’s unprecedented year-long global curation project designed to further support Converse’s partnership with (RED). The Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists footwear collections are designed to promote and preserve culture through Converse’s blank canvas including a wide range of inspiring designs that are stylish, thought provoking and unique. In addition, Converse will also unveil the African Canvas collection of Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoes made from canvas sourced in Africa.
The Fall/Holiday 2008 Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists collection spans the globe with representation from Africa, Brazil, Japan, Norway and US with a varied list of artists ranging from Brooklyn based artist Michael Schall to African graphic designer Warwick Kay. Each artist, tasked with the creation of an original design, developed unique shoes that range from playful, graphic cartoon character images to designs that emphasize the importance of the project’s mission. Other notable artists include Colletivo Design (Brazil), Grandpeople (Norway), Ginger Jones (USA), Mister Never (USA), Amy Ruppel (USA), Laura Trowbridge (USA), UPSO (USA) and Yuko Yabuki (USA).
Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists will unveil a total of up to 100 designs over its centennial year with the goal of celebrating culture and supporting Converse (PRODUCT) RED. Each design is unique, detailed and incredibly varied and will have a unique number located inside the shoe that identifies the artist who created the shoe). The numbers will correspond to a page on www.converse.com that will include information about the artist, design inspirations and more details about the project. Shoes in this collection will retail for MSRP $49 – $75 with 10% of the net wholesale price of these shoes going to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland). These shoes will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, select department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in June.
Converse will also debut the African Canvas collection of Chuck Taylor All Star shoes produced with canvas made in Africa. These classic looking versions of the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star shoe come in the familiar black and red canvas graced with a tribal “X” pattern on the heel stripe, signifying that they are made of this special canvas. Available in high top and oxford versions and retail for MSRP $49 with 5% of the net wholesale price of these shoes going to the Global Fund. These shoes will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in June.
Additionally, Converse offers the capability to give consumers a platform to express their originality with the MAKE MINE RED option on www.converseone.com with 15% of the net retail sales of these shoes going to the Global Fund. All shoes from 1HUND(RED) Artists and Make Mine Red will include iconic Converse (PRODUCT) RED detailing such as the (CONVERSE) RED logo inscribed on the insole of the shoe and red eyelets symbolically adorning the top of the shoes.
Depending on the products sold 5 - 15% of the net sales of CONVERSE (PRODUCT) RED shoes goes directly to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland). No part of the purchase price is deductible under U.S. law. (RED) was created by Bono (U2, singer and activist) and Bobby Shriver to deliver a sustainable flow of private sector money to the Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs with an emphasis on the health of women and children.


About (RED)™ and (PRODUCT) RED
(RED)’s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help fight AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT) RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only), Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Motorola, Hallmark, Dell and Microsoft. MySpace.com is the first media sponsor in the United Kingdom and MTV Networks is the first media sponsor in the US.
Since its launch in the spring of 2006, more than $100 million has been generated by (RED) partners and events for the Global Fund. (RED) money is already at work in Swaziland, Rwanda, Ghana and Lesotho. For more information, visit www.joinred.com.

About The Global Fund
The Global Fund, the recipient of (RED) funds, is the world's leading funder of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which kill over 6 million people each year. Created in 2002, the Global Fund has committed over $10 billion to life saving programs in 136 countries and accounts for more than one fifth of the world’s funding for AIDS programs in the developing world (two-thirds of the world’s funding for malaria and tuberculosis). The Global Fund was the first international financing body to fund a massive scale-up of antiretroviral treatment in developing countries, starting in 2003.




8. CONVERSE DEBUTS ITS PREMIUM FALL 2008 INSPIRED FOOTWEAR COLLECTIONS CELEBRATING THE BRAND’S INDELIBLE CONNECTIONS TO MUSIC AND CULTURE - 6/3/2008


North Andover, MASS (June 2, 2008) – Celebrating Converse’s diverse and authentic historical roots in sports and pop culture, the company introduces a selection of premium footwear for Fall 2008. A continuation of the brand’s 100th anniversary celebration, the collections reference the brand’s undeniable influence on pop culture and music with decidedly modern styling, materials and detailing. Using references that range from secret geometry to electronic music, and the Grateful Dead, each of the unique styles are designed to honor the genres and movements in music and culture that have disrupted the status quo.
"As we continue into the second half of the Converse Century with our Fall 2008 Footwear Collection, we celebrate the renegades of sound, the league-changers and those with flawless style. They are the ones who have created the last 100 years of Converse history and will be the ones to define the next 100 years," said Scott Patt, Converse Global Footwear Creative Director.
Converse Fall 2008 Collection
Chuck Taylor All Star Light
A new, clean, simple take on the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe, the Chuck Taylor All Star Light shoes feature a chic, slimmer construction with minimal detailing and additional arch support. Designed specifically for women, the new model retains key details that have made the original shoe legendary, including the Converse All Star patch, familiar toe-cap and tread pattern. Available in gold, silver, pink or black canvas, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $62 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in July.
Chuck Taylor All Star Low Profile
A spare, clean take on the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe this low profile shoe features black deconstructed premium leather uppers and slim, white rubber soles. D-ring closures give them ease, simplicity and a decidedly modern look. Also inspired by secret geometry, a vibrant prism print lining gives these shoes an unexpected color pop and relaxed look and feel. Available in black/white/multi, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $94 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in July.
Chuck Taylor All Star Electronic Music
These futuristic, over-the-rainbow shoes are inspired by music and science and feature ultra-modern, vibrant colors and patterns, coupled with premium construction and materials. Available in Chuck Taylor All Star shoes in high top and oxford versions, the collection features a satin upper in a gradient rainbow of colors, subtly and stylishly evoking spacey, ambient, other worldly music. Available in multi/silver, rainbow, orange/red and blue/green, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $84 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in June.
Jack Purcell Specialty and Jack Purcell V-4
The Jack Purcell Specialty shoes feature the traditional shoe silhouette and a version in monochrome black features subtle blue piping along its saddle shoe detail while a brown version features deep lavender piping. The result is a collection of richly crafted shoes that exude the understated sports lifestyle for which the Jack Purcell shoe has become known. The Jack Purcell V-4 shoe has a fourth strap making this all leather high-top perfect for night time flings. Jack Purcell Specialty shoes are available in black/blue and brown/deep lavender and retails for MSRP $85. Jack Purcell V-4 shoes are available in grey/green and retail for MSRP $95. Both styles will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in June.
Extensions
Drawing on Converse’s rich basketball history and modern styling, Converse’s Fall 2008 Extensions collection includes some of the best colors and materials yet with updated centennial re-issues of the Poorman Pro Leather shoes and debut of its Pro Team and Pro Weapon shoe styles. These hybrids of the Pro Leather 1976, Weapon and the Pro Team shoes feature multi-colored canvas uppers in striking colors that really pop. Leather versions in more subtle colors feature strong color accents and ultra clean styling. Highlights from this collection include a Poorman Pro Team shoe that features a mostly monochrome black upper with a grey star chevron and hiking boot laces. A white sole rounds it out making it a super striking shoe in the collection. The Poorman Weapon shoe also features the clean styling of the other leather shoes in the collection, but also exhibits unique perforation detailing that gives it an unmistakable look. Available in black/lava/gold, blue/white/red, black/milk, grey/black/red/white and grey/red/black/white, the shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $50 - $60 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in June.
Odessa and Wave Trainer
The Odessa and Wave Trainer shoes feature a tongue-in-cheek nod to some of the sport’s worst record times ever with famously slow running times stitched on the side of the shoes. The Odessa shoes feature premium leather uppers and unique, original lacing detail that give these shoes a stand-out, fresh look and feel. The Wave Trainer shoes also feature rich leathers, but also include the iconic Converse star chevron logo on the sides. Both styles feature unique textured mesh materials and bold modern colors. Adding to the fun and quirky detailing, each shoe has a special insole graphic of marathon participants reacting to how it feels to be last place. Available in black/purple, brown/green/yellow, purple/green/yellow and white/black/orange, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $80 - $90 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in June.
Pro Leather 1976
The iconic shoe that changed the game of basketball continues to evolve with lifestyle versions of the shoe that include an infusion of soft, supple leathers and ultra premium detailing. Rich dark colors grace a high and oxford version with Italian Squamato leather that receives a pop of contrasting color with its signature Converse star chevron logo detailing. Another oxford version has a clean simple full-grain leather upper in a sleek monochrome black and contrasting off white sole.
Available in dark sage/enamel blue, dark purple/ink blue, black, the shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $85 - $90 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in August.
Grateful Dead
From the beginning in 1965, the Grateful Dead set its own standards and redefined music and the live concert experience. The band’s apparent disdain for the status quo enabled them to become music’s most enduring success story, and what began as a freewheeling group of musicians transformed into one of the most powerful icons in American pop culture. Serving as a canvas, the collection pays homage to the Grateful Dead legacy through simple execution with detailing left to the powerful imagery and artwork for which has become forever associated with the Grateful Dead. Featuring the two artists who were at the forefront of San Francisco’s renaissance of graphic poster art in the 1960s and 1970s, Alton Kelley’s and Stanley Mouse’s artwork is featured prominently; Skull & Roses, Europe ’72 album artwork and Ice Cream Boy are three of the icon pieces featured. The famous dancing bears and Grateful Dead logo round out this amazing collection that includes Chuck Taylor® All Star® high top and oxford shoes. Available in black/blue/grenadine, black/bears, white/blue/grenadine leather, white/bears, white/grenadine/gold and white/multiple, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $40 - $70 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in June.
Converse by John Varvatos
Converse by John Varvatos Bosey Boot
For Fall 2008, John Varvatos gives a nod to Converse’s centennial by drawing inspiration from a boot from the Converse archives. With the introduction of the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Bosey Boot, Converse by John Varvatos offers an extra, extra high interpretation of a boot that dates back to Converse’s heritage as a military footwear contractor for the US government in WWII. A rugged, gusseted upper with beautifully supple, oiled leather and a military, painted rubber canvas version present style in a refined, stylish manner. Season ready, a special Thinsulate lining and heavy-duty rubber heel and toe cap give the shoes in this collection function to go along with their unmistakable luxurious look and feel. The Chuck Taylor All Star Bosey Boots are available in extra, extra high; extra high and in an oxford version. A Chuck Taylor All Star Bosey Camp Welley gives Chelsea boot ease and appeal to the collection. Available in black/neutral grey, military olive/black, black mono, chocolate/black, black/grey and olive/black, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $175 - $295 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com beginning in August.
Chuck Taylor All Star Low Profile Slip
New for fall, and offering a fresh approach to Converse’s most classic silhouette, the Chuck Taylor All Star Low Profile shoe features a casual, slimmed down sole, hand-stitched detailing and an advanced toe spring. Converse by John Varvatos detailing such as a haberdasher lining and premium construction give these shoes a handcrafted feel. Available in high-top and slip versions, the shoes are placed through a full-shoe garment dye process lending an unpolished yet stylish look to the canvas and rubber outsole. Available in a parchment/milk version and either black, tarp green, ferrous red or drill oil garment dye versions, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $95 - $100 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in August.
Chuck Taylor All Star Multi-Eyelets
Converse by John Varvatos expands its Chuck Taylor All Star Eyelets shoe collection by offering a range of new washes and patterns. Canvas uppers and rubber soles receive a unique garment dye treatment that gives the shoe an all-over distressed look. Flexibility of the elastic laces allow the shoe to be slipped on with ease and its haberdasher lining gives it instant comfort and distinction. Available in either black/grey striped, black or burnished taupe garment dye, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $95 - $100 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in August.
Chuck Taylor All Star Painted Rubber
For Fall 2008, Converse by John Varvatos offers a new twist to the popular painted canvas shoes to include a painted rubber Chuck Taylor All Star shoe. Leather laces and a haberdasher linings give these shoes distinction and style that make each shoe feel specially created for the wearer. Available in black/grey stripe, white/black and black paint, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $125 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in August.
Jack Purcell Vintage
A sophisticated hound’s-tooth pattern and impeccable detailing characterize these two new stand-out Jack Purcell Vintage shoes for men and women. Each shoe has ultra-soft fabric that resembles that of fine suiting and is accented with the iconic Jack Purcell rubber outsole, toe-smile and Jack Purcell signature on the tongue. Converse by John Varvatos detailing such as haberdasher linings and a clear sole round out these stellar oxfords. Available in black houndstooth/black and brown houndstooth/chocolate, shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $110 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in August.




9. CONVERSE BY JOHN VARVATOS FALL/WINTER 2008 PREMIUM MEN’S READY-TO-WEAR AND FOOTWEAR - 7/15/2008


NORTH ANDOVER, MASS (July 15, 2008) – The Fall/Winter 2008 “Converse by John Varvatos” men’s collection continues to pay homage to Converse’s centennial in sport heritage and inspiring originality. This season’s collection cleverly mixes athletic and rock n’ roll influences to create a sophisticated mood while capturing the irreverent and unique essence of today’s youth culture. Vintage inspired silhouettes emerge to create an elevated collection with a refined assortment of styles.
The first delivery in the men’s premium collection takes a clever twist on the urban hipster. By mixing a cotton sateen trench, shortened at thigh length, with a pair of French workwear inspired denim, a tailored yet wearable look is created. A longsleeve reversed slouchy jersey crew is layered over a classic pinstripe shirt finishing off this combination and offering variation for a day to evening transition. Other silhouettes in this delivery offer additional layered looks seen with a longsleeve thermal waistcoat layered over a double pocket shirt and finished off with a standout outerwear piece such as the wool double-breasted jacket. Color palettes reflect a range of dusty neutrals in concrete and putty, grounded with black and white to add depth. Silhouettes remain slim to recreate rock n’ roll heritage while carefully chosen fabrications offer a mix of lighter weights to create multiple layers within each look.
The menswear second delivery pays homage to the eclectic dandy by mixing unexpected elements to create new and exciting silhouettes. Stripe workwear pants finished off with skinny suspenders are easily paired with a wool stripe vest layered under a vintage wool hooded coat. The garments in warm charcoal and olive hues, accented with toffee coloring, present unique leather details outlining pockets and the inside of garments. These “hidden treasures” are accented by cleverly placed vintage inspired trims and the focused construction of the clothing. Further looks take plaid, windowpane pants tucked into the Chuck Taylor® All Star® Bosey Boot paired with an athletic inspired plaited sweater in chocolate and a multi striped scarf in light ash. Hand washed garments and cleverly stained finishes offer authentic appearances grounded in neutral palettes.
Refined and tailored clothing interpreted through Converse’s athletic inspired lens bases the collection’s third delivery around the bespoke punk. Upscale dressing takes precedent in this delivery seen in a double face textured blazer, waistcoat and pant offering which is Converse by John Varvatos’ version of a suit. The garments freshly tailored silhouettes in modern proportions further emphasize this formal and dressy twist on the Converse style, while a subtle dark range of black and navy contrasted against white and cream offer a sophisticated range of colors. Top notch outerwear pieces such as the leather hooded fur trim jacket create grown up style for the Converse by John Varvatos boy, offering new options and eclectic dressing for a mature modern palette.
The Converse by John Varvatos men’s collection is available at department and specialty stores beginning July 2008. Suggested retail price ranges by category include knits from $65 - $295; woven shirts from $85 - $175; graphic tees from $65 - $95; sweaters from $145 - $625; woven and knit bottoms from $125 - $185; blazers from $195 - $395; outerwear from $165 - $595; leather jackets $695 - $995; denim $165; and accessories $85 - $125.
For Fall/Winter 2008, Converse by John Varvatos continues to expand its premium footwear offering with the launch of new and inventive styles that work effortlessly back to the apparel collection. The Chuck Taylor All Star Bosey Boot gives a nod to Converse’s centennial by drawing inspiration from the Converse archives. A rugged, gusseted upper with beautifully supple, oiled leather and a military, painted rubber canvas version present style in a refined, stylish manner, with a suggested retail price of $175 - $295. Another footwear offering is a fresh approach to Converse’s most classic silhouette, the Chuck Taylor All Star Low Profile shoe featuring a casual, slimmed down sole, hand-stitched detailing and an advanced toe spring, with a suggested retail price of $95 - $100. Converse by John Varvatos will also offer a new twist to the popular painted canvas shoes to include a painted rubber Chuck Taylor All Star shoe. Leather laces and a haberdasher lining give these shoes distinction and style that make each shoe feel specially created for the wearer, with a suggested retail price of $125. A sophisticated hound’s-tooth pattern and impeccable detailing characterize two new stand-out Jack Purcell Vintage shoes for men and women, with a suggested retail price of $110. All styles will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in August.



10. CONVERSE BY JOHN VARVATOS FALL/WINTER 2008 PREMIUM WOMEN’S READY-TO-WEAR AND FOOTWEAR - 7/15/2008


NORTH ANDOVER, MASS (July 15, 2008) – The Fall/Winter 2008 “Converse by John Varvatos” women’s collection continues to celebrate Converse’s centennial by paying homage to the brand’s unique place in popular culture by mixing traditional silhouettes with modern influences. By encouraging inventive shapes through contemporary interpretations of rock n’ roll, fashion and athletic trends, this season’s collection further evolves to create a sophisticated mood while capturing the irreverent and unique essence of today’s youth culture. Menswear inspired silhouettes upheld by feminine details and Converse’s athletic and rock n’ roll roots emerge to create a collection with a refined assortment of styles.
The first delivery in the women’s collection mixes feminine twists on menswear inspired silhouettes. A black wool twill cut back band jacket worn over a crushed silk paper bag ruffle blouse is finished off with slouchy wide leg schoolboy pinstripe trousers. Complete outfits can be dressed up or down for easy active to lounge transitions throughout the day. A black cotton babydoll crochet dress can be worn on its own with a pinstripe pork pie hat, a quirky reminder of the tomboy within the Converse by John Varvatos girl. Dark blacks, school navy, paper bag brown and grey heather define color palettes in this delivery, while clean refined fabrications and prints such as grey wool flannel, wool twills and schoolboy pinstripes further emphasize this new take on menswear tailoring for women.
Vintage and military inspirations help define the second delivery in the collection seen when heavier, warm fabrics are mixed together with light feminine layers. A geometric jacquard lace slip dress with vintage lingerie detailing in industrial grey is worn under a heavy military hooded coat topped off with Tibetan lambswool trim. The juxtaposition of lighter weight garments worn under heavy wools offer versatility, a key element found in this collection. The same geometric jacquard lace slip dress can also easily be worn over an athletic longsleeve marled ruffle jacket for a dressed down version to this look. An earthy color palette of browns, olives, alabaster and stone grey also create transitional styles, while silk, wool and rumpled fabrications add a whim of ease to dressing.
The final womenswear delivery offers dressed up rock n’ roll inspired silhouettes seen when upscale dressing and sophisticated style merge. Glammed up looks include a black sequin tank dress with a racer back strap layered under a cheetah print coat in ginger. The playfulness of the bold sequins and the quirky print of the cheetah pattern offer an irreverent attitude to the collection. This trend is further emphasized when a pair of black sequin pants is paired with a silk ruffle vest worn under a wool twill jacket. The look is again topped off with a menswear wool striped pork pie hat to add a masculine touch. Looks within this delivery also have a cabaret quality to them seen when prints and fabrications play off each other by combining various textures within the same silhouette. Black, ghost white, cream and liquid silver define colors within rock inspired party jackets, outerwear and pants. Complete looks are edgy, yet remain wearable and stylish for the season ahead.
The Converse by John Varvatos women’s collection will be available in high-end department and specialty stores beginning July 2008. Suggested retail price ranges by category include knit tops from $75 - $195; woven tops from $165 - $245; sweaters from $145 - $225; woven bottoms from $145 - $245; dresses from $165 - $275; skirts from $145; outerwear and leather jackets from $265 - $995; and denim from $185 - $225.
For Fall/Winter 2008, Converse by John Varvatos continues to expand its premium footwear offering with the launch of new and inventive styles that work effortlessly back to the apparel collection. The Chuck Taylor® All Star® Bosey Boot gives a nod to Converse’s centennial by drawing inspiration from the Converse archives. A rugged, gusseted upper with beautifully supple, oiled leather and a military, painted rubber canvas version present style in a refined, stylish manner, with a suggested retail price of $175 - $295. Another footwear offering is a fresh approach to Converse’s most classic silhouette, the Chuck Taylor All Star Low Profile shoe featuring a casual, slimmed down sole, hand-stitched detailing and an advanced toe spring, with a suggested retail price of $95 - $100. Converse by John Varvatos will also offer a new twist to the popular painted canvas shoes to include a painted rubber Chuck Taylor All Star shoe for Fall 08. Leather laces and a haberdasher lining give these shoes distinction and style that make each shoe feel specially created for the wearer, with a suggested retail price of $125. And finally, a sophisticated hound’s-tooth pattern and impeccable detailing characterize two new stand-out Jack Purcell Vintage shoes for men and women, with a suggested retail price of $110. All styles are unisex in sizing and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in August.




11. CONVERSE LAUNCHES NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN BUILT AROUND THE HIT SUMMER TRACK MY DRIVE THRU - 7/31/2008
CREATIVE SPOTLIGHTS ALL-ORIGINAL MUSIC COLLABORATION WITH PHARRELL WILLIAMS, N.E.R.D., SANTOGOLD AND JULIAN CASABLANCAS

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (July 15, 2008) - Converse, the creator of iconic shoes including the Chuck Taylor® All Star®, Jack Purcell® and One Star® shoes, today launched a multi-media advertising campaign built around the company’s recent “Three Artists, One Song,” music collaboration with Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D., Santogold and Julian Casablancas. The resulting track, My Drive Thru, was released in June to music fans globally via free digital download at converse.com and a corresponding music video was released on July 9 with a myspace.com online premiere followed by a broadcast premiere on MTV. The ad campaign includes television, print, outdoor, digital and cinema advertising.
“Music is central to the Converse brand and we’re excited to launch this campaign which further activates our commitment to being a catalyst for creativity,” said Geoff Cottrill, Chief Marketing Officer of Converse. “It has been totally gratifying to get My Drive Thru to music fans across the world as a favorite summer song, a must-see music video, and now a range of engaging advertising that brings the music and Converse’s intention to inspire creativity to consumers worldwide.”
Converse has long been associated with the worlds of music, sport, art and fashion. The campaign is inspired by the brand’s rich musical heritage – most notably, the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe which is iconic in the world of rock n’ roll. The new Converse campaign takes an innovative marketing approach in that all components were inspired by the creation of the original music track. The artists were given total creative freedom and brand direction was solely for the artists to collaboratively produce “a great piece of music,” that was true to the each of their musical styles.
My Drive Thru has received considerable acclaim from both fans and critics. The debut of the music video on MySpace.com, YouTube.com and other leading outlets resulted in more than 750,000 video streams in the first four days. In its first day, it placed among the Top 10 most viral videos on the internet according to viralvideochart.com.
Converse advertising plans include:
• Television advertising, in 30 and 60 second versions begins to air today nationally on broadcast and cable outlets including NBC, MTV, MTV2, BET, Cartoon Network (Adult Swim), Comedy Central, VH1, E!, Fuel, Fuse, Current and Music Choice. The television ads were produced and animated by Psyop (New York) in collaboration with both internal creative, lead Converse advertising partner, Anomaly (New York), and music promotions partner, Cornerstone (New York.)
• Massive outdoor and transit advertising installations featuring the lead artists are now being posted in eight markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, Austin, Seattle, Miami and San Francisco. The outdoor creative is based on print advertising that was launched earlier in the summer in conjunction with the track release. In addition to Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D., Santogold and Julian Casablancas, outdoor visuals feature a range of emerging musical talent from across the globe, including MGMT, Kid Sister, YACHT, Bradford Cox and members of Gallows, Fiery Furnaces, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, and Care Bears on Fire.
• Digital advertising plans include a homepage takeover on YouTube.com on July 16 as well as banner ads and streaming video on sites including MySpace.com, MTV.com, imeem.com, Pitchfork.com, Stereogum.com, pandora.com, Last.fm, AOL Sessions, and Complex Media Network.
• Cinema advertising will bring the creative to the big screen beginning on July 18 in top 30 markets.
• Print advertising began running in several music-focused publications in June and will continue.
To view and download the initial press release announcing the launch of the track as well as images, go to: http://mnr.onthescene.com/converse/mydrivethru.html.



12. CONVERSE SERVES UP FALL 2008 FASHION WITH A SIDE OF LEGS AND EGGS IN NEW “GET CHUCKED” AD CAMPAIGN - 8/22/2008
Print and Video Shot by Acclaimed Artist Ryan McGinley at Manhattan’s Late Night Dining Legend, Florent

North Andover, MASS (August 19, 2008) – Converse and partner John Varvatos today announced the launch of a new series of “Get Chucked” advertising, focusing on the fall 2008 Converse by John Varvatos fashion line-up and the company’s premium men’s and women’s apparel and footwear collections . The campaign takes its cues from the wild side of late night dining and was inspired by and shot at the recently closed Manhattan eatery and nightlife legend, Florent. The multimedia creative features British modeling sensation, Daisy Lowe.
"I feel that we have truly captured the essence of the Converse by John Varvatos girl and guy this season. The campaign is irreverent, fun and a bit rock and roll,” explains John Varvatos.
Acclaimed photographer Ryan McGinley shot the Converse by John Varvatos line for the second consecutive season. McGinley partnered with Yard, the creative agency behind the campaign, as well as Converse and John Varvatos to portray the collection’s carefree and playful sensibility. Captured in the late-night escapades of models Daisy Lowe and Liam Wade (Select Model Management), the creative celebrates the essence of the “Get Chucked” attitude with the comradery and antics that take place in the wee hours of the morning in late night diners across the world. The campaign was shot at Florent in the final weeks before the iconic Manhattan diner closed its doors after 23 years. Florent was one of the first restaurants to move into the then delinquent and desolate meatpacking district of the 80s. As the home base of artists and fashionistas, it was chosen as the ideal venue to host the tongue-and-cheek series depicting anything goes late night dining moments.
The “Get Chucked” attitude evolves in mischievous messages layered throughout the images, with sayings like “Make Love” and “No Mas” scribbled in ketchup on dinner plates. Menu boards also serve up interesting fare such as “Tramp Salad,” “Legs and Eggs” and “Grilled Tease,” to name a few. Flirty messages and lively exchanges throughout the campaign bring the irreverent Converse by John Varvatos brand to life.
This season also marks the introduction of a 60 second short film, shot by McGinley, to amp up the “Get Chucked” brand experience. The provocative film, also shot on location at Florent, showcases playful havoc and barely startled diners in a story revolving around an underwear-clad diner (sporting only a Converse by John Varvatos tie, shirt and the just launched Chuck Taylor® All Star® Bosey Boot), who has late night ideas of his own. Designer Varvatos makes a special cameo appearance in the film. The piece is set to the music of The Virgins.
"The sixty second film isn’t about a hard product sell," says Stephen Niedzwiecki, founder and creative director of YARD. "The film captures relatable late-night antics. Who hasn’t been out with friends and wanted to jump on the counter for a ‘Flash Dance’ moment? Or eat and run? It’s the ultimate in ‘Getting Chucked’."
The print campaign will appear beginning in August in international and national publications including Dazed and Confused, Details, Elle, Fantastic Man, Flaunt, GQ, Interview, New York Times, Out, The Daily, V, V Man, Vogue and Wonderland and beginning in September on digital sites including Men.Style.com, Refinery29 and Style.com. Out of home advertising includes wallscapes/bulletins, bus shelters and newsstand placements, guerilla projections, upscale bar digital HD screens and mirror clings and projection media in metro Los Angeles and New York locations.
The Fall/Winter 2008 men’s and women’s collections offer a range of high-end vintage inspired knits, tops, graphic tees, dresses, sweaters, tailored jackets, denim, woven bottoms, leathers, outerwear pieces and accessories driven by new color palettes and inventive clothing combinations. Items will be available at high-end department and specialty stores in mid-July 2008. For Fall/Winter 2008, Converse by John Varvatos continues to expand its premium footwear offering with the launch of new and inventive styles that work effortlessly back to the apparel collection, such as the Chuck Taylor All Star Bosey Boot and the Chuck Taylor All Star Low Profile footwear styles. All styles will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in August.

About John Varvatos
Launched in 2000 with a collection of tailored clothing and sportswear, John Varvatos now represents an entire lifestyle that includes belts, bags, footwear, eyewear, luxury skincare and fragrances (including one for women), as well as the younger, edgier John Varvatos  USA Collection and Converse by John Varvatos, clothes for guys and girls. The designer has been recognized three times by the CFDA with an American Fashion Award for New Menswear Designer (June 2000) and Menswear Designer of the Year (June 2001 and June 2005) and was honored as GQ’s “Designer of the Year” in 2007. The collection is distributed in freestanding John Varvatos boutiques across the US, as well as in better specialty stores throughout the world. www.johnvarvatos.com

About YARD
YARD is a New York-based agency that marries an artistic eye for image-making with a strategic gut for brand-building. Since its founding in 2002, YARD has created a range of award-winning global advertising campaigns in print and television. YARD applies an expertise that is both style-driven and consumer-minded, stewarding brands for such clients as John Varvatos, Converse, LeSportsac, Kenneth Cole, Smartwater, Method and the Sundance channel. www.yardnyc.com




13. CONVERSE (PRODUCT) RED DEBUTS ITS HOLIDAY 2008 1HUND(RED) ARTISTS FOOTWEAR COLLECTION WITH A FOCUS ON MUSIC COLLABORATIONS - 11/3/2008
Musician contributors include Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Tokyo Police Club, Matt & Kim and The Cannanes.

North Andover, MASS (August 25, 2008) – Converse debuts its third 1HUND(RED) Artists footwear collection for Holiday 2008 with a strong focus on emerging and established musicians and graphic artists as a source of artwork and inspiration. The third seasonal installment of the brand’s unprecedented global curation project designed to further support Converse’s partnership with (RED)™, the Holiday 2008 collection debuts a wide-range of new and exciting artists that use one of the world’s greatest blank canvases, the Converse sneaker, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.
The Holiday 2008 Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists collection includes a diverse group of contributors that span the globe with representation from India to the US, Australia to Prague, fine artists and fashion designers to emerging bands. Musicians such as Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day (California), who has long worn Converse sneakers, lent his hemp rendition to a Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe, while internationally known painter Agathe de Bailliencourt (Berlin), adds her signature, paint splatters with bursts of color to her shoe. Other contributors include illustrator Martin Svoboda-Funkfu of Prague, Czechoslovakia; potter Adam Silverman-Atwater of Los Angeles; musicians Tokyo Police Club of Ontario, Canada; musicians Matt & Kim of Brooklyn, NY; musicians The Cannanes of Melbourne, Australia; and artist Joby Williamson and accessories designer Katie Hillier, both of London.
The footwear from this diverse group of accomplished artists is detailed and incredibly varied. Each shoe contains a unique number located inside the shoe that identifies the artist(s) who created the shoe. The numbers correspond to a page on www.converse.com that will include information about the artist(s), design inspirations and more details about the project. Shoes in this collection will retail for MSRP $55 – $100 with 10% of the net wholesale price of these shoes going to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland). These shoes will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, select department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in October.
Converse will also continue its offering of the X Africa vs African Canvas collection of Chuck Taylor All Star shoes produced with canvas made in Africa. These classic looking versions of the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star shoe come in familiar black or red canvas graced with the Mali Bogolanfini Mudcloth pattern on the heel stripe, signifying that they are made of this special canvas. Available in high top and oxford versions, they retail for MSRP $50 with 5% of the net wholesale price of these shoes going to the Global Fund. These shoes will be available nationwide at specialty retailers and online at www.converse.com.
Additionally, Converse offers the capability to give consumers a platform to express their originality with the MAKE MINE RED option on www.converseone.com with 15% of the net retail sales of these shoes going to the Global Fund. All shoes from 1HUND(RED) Artists and MAKE MINE RED will include iconic Converse (PRODUCT) RED detailing such as the (CONVERSE) RED logo inscribed on the insole of the shoe and red eyelets symbolically adorning the top of the shoes.
Depending on the products sold 5 - 15% of the net sales of CONVERSE (PRODUCT) RED shoes goes directly to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland). No part of the purchase price is deductible under U.S. law. (RED) was created by Bono (U2, singer and activist) and Bobby Shriver to deliver a sustainable flow of private sector money to the Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs with an emphasis on the health of women and children.


About (RED)™ and (PRODUCT) RED™
(RED)’s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT) RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only), Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Motorola, Hallmark, Dell and Microsoft. Since its launch in the spring of 2006, more than $110 million has been generated by (RED) partners and events for the Global Fund. (RED) money is already at work in Swaziland, Rwanda, Ghana and Lesotho. For more information, visit JOINRED.COM.

About The Global Fund
Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the dominant financer of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with approved funding of US$10.7 billion for programs in 136 countries. The Global Fund supports programs based on agreed performance targets and disburses money in response to proven results. So far, programs supported by the Global Fund have averted more than two million deaths by providing AIDS treatment for 1.75 million people, TB treatment for 3.9 million people, and by the distribution of 59 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria worldwide. (RED)™ is the Global Fund’s largest private sector contributor.





14. CONVERSE LAUNCHES ITS PREMIUM HOLIDAY 2008 FOOTWEAR COLLECTION FOCUSED ON REFINED STYLE AND AN OPTIMISTIC ATTITUDE THAT CELEBRATES THE SEASON - 11/3/2008
Key Holiday Collections include Jack Purcell®, Electronic Sequins, Menswear Material and All Star® Distressed Leather

North Andover, MASS (August 25, 2008) – Converse launches a broad offering of premium Holiday 2008 footwear mixing refined style and independent attitude with influences from sport and music. The all-new Converse sneaker collection features styles ranging from an understated, hand-crafted, dressy feel to a sexy, sparkly rock and roll attitude. Holiday styles include new designs featuring Electronic Sequins and Menswear Material that deliver standout style by combining exciting materials and fabrics with classic construction. In addition, a selection of modern All Star® shoes reinterpreted in Distressed Leather sport a clean, simple futuristic look.
"As we enter our second Century, Converse is staying true to both our history of inspiring originality and our unique place in the worlds of music, sport, art and fashion,” says John Hoke Vice President Global Footwear. “For Holiday 2008, we’ve blended iconic product, including Jack Purcell® and the Chuck Taylor® All Star®, with non-traditional constructions and premium materials that fuse seasonal glamour with casual comfort. The result is a modern collection that is sophisticated, irreverent, and topped off with elements of rock and roll and sport culture."
Converse Collection
Chuck Taylor All Star - Electronic Sequins
Converse again proves that the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe can be glamorous and ultra-stylish with all-new color offerings that take the popular sequined versions of the iconic Chuck to new heights. Designed exclusively for the holiday ‘08 season, Converse adds a unique striped sequin pattern that gives a black and silver version of the shoe a chic, rock and roll look. Mini-sequins also grace two new models adding even more sparkle. Premium details such as comfort-pack foot beds and clean lines make these shoes primed to step into the New Year with. The Chuck Taylor All Star oxford comes in black/silver, dazzling blue/white or magenta/white sequins. The Chuck Taylor All Star high top is available in black sequins. Shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $80 - $85 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in October.
Chuck Taylor All Star and Sea Star - Menswear Material
The Converse Menswear Material collection brings together the classic style of the Chuck Taylor All Star and Sea Star shoes, with timeless materials such as tweed and herringbone. A seasonal introduction of sophisticated materials, these shoes, made of wool, canvas and leather, have a hand-crafted look and feel that meshes perfectly with the sporty, rich style of these classic sneakers. The Chuck Taylor All Star high top shoes are available in black/grey and fossil/stone. The Chuck Taylor All Star oxford shoes are available in black/grey and brown/stone. Sea Star oxford shoes are available in black/grey and brown/fossil. Shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $50 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in October.
All Star - Distressed Leather
Minimal and unique, this striking new collection evokes the traditional Chuck Taylor All Star shoe with the addition of a relaxed leather upper, smooth rubber heel stay and toe-cap and overall clean, modern detailing. Shoes that make a statement, the collection features soft collars with raw edges that give the shoes a flexible and modern feel. A white version features black accents with round laces that complete the spare look and feel of the shoe. A high-top version with a high-top black monochrome upper and white rubber sole round out this sharp new collection. The Chuck Taylor All Star Free Fox high top and oxford shoes are available in black or white leather. Shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $70 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in October.
Jack Purcell - Plaids
Classic, cozy, and confident, Converse updates the Jack Purcell shoe with rich, woolen plaids and premium details. Perfect for holiday season merry making, these distinct and traditional soft plaids, combined with a chambray lining lend your look a comfortable, dressy feeling. A traditional Scottish plaid in red adds a festive feel, while a more muted grey model is decidedly understated and clean. Each features classic Jack Purcell detailing with subtlety such as a color coordinated signature toe-smile. D-ring closures on the Jack Purcell V-4 shoe model give the collection a distinct and stylish twist and an all leather V-4 in black rounds out the collection with a clean winter-worthy take on the classic style. The Jack Purcell Oxford and Jack Purcell V4 come in black/red/grey plaid. Another version of the Jack Purcell Oxford comes in red/blue/yellow/milk plaid. Shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $70 - $95 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in October.
Pro Leather 1976 – New Colors
Fresh for the holiday season, Converse’s recently reissued Pro Leather 1976 collection is newly available in white/green and black/white—both versions that were worn by basketball greats of the game’s golden age. An eye-catching low top version with bold color pops evokes the old-school, but is a clear slam-dunk for the 21st Century. The Pro Leather 1976 high-top shoe is available in white/green/milk, white/red and black/white leather. It is also available in an oxford shoe version that comes in black/purple/flame leather. Shoes in this collection retail for MSRP $65 - $70 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in October.


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