As Angelenos segued into lockdown, Melody Ehsani, the Los Angeles based designer, set the proverbial streets, better known as the internet, on fire with her take of the Air Jordan OG Sheryl Swoopes Retro shoe. The shoe originally came out in 1998 as the first shoe made specifically for women by the Jordan brand and is the famed designer’s second collaboration with the mega shoe brand. Set on the roof of the state of the art Jordan store in Downtown, Los Angeles, the veteran designers campaign brought back the shoe in her rugged yet elegant style.
Melody’s addition of the 3m technology adds a, for lack of a better phrase, “fly ass” cutting edge flair when adorned with the matte black material of the shoe. The shoe is definitely a vibe but that was only the beginning of the layered moment.
Melody compounded the dopeness when she incorporated the influences of the iconic film “Love and Basketball”, which is one of Melody’s favorite films. Sourcing this inspiration added a majestically wholesome element to the photography aspect, shot by the legendary Ja Tecson, that captivated culture enthusiasts, sneaker heads, and cinephiles alike.
As the drop neared, Melody’s slow rollout incited both euphoria and nostalgia garnering love from some high profiled women such as famed reality star Angela Simmons, Oscar nominee Cynthis Erivo, and fellow designer Aleali May, checkout her comment section…
The campaign was set to reach a fevered pitch with a scheduled celebrity basketball game, the day before her in store release, but unfortunately both events were cancelled due to the stronghold of COVID. The game was set to feature a myriad of high profiled names such as Taco featured in Lil Dicky’s FX hit show Dave, WNBA Hall of Famer Cappie Pondexter, and even Melody herself.
As dope as the shoe and the photo campaign was it paled in comparison to the powerful trailer. The trailer, also shot on the roof of Jumpman L.A., touched on what the essence of her campaign which is feeding that youthful energy inside while inspiring other people to do so themselves. at the same time. The drop although designed for women managed to inspire everyone. I know of a few guys who inquired about men’s sizes, including myself.
