Miami is always in motion but it feels like Miami Music Week kicks the city into especially high gear. People flock to the bottom of the map from all over the country while brands and cultural creators follow right behind them. This year was no different and Up2Something Studios is always.. well, up to something.
Nike reached out to help activate the city in support of their Air Max ’23 campaign. Air Max sneakers have historically been a trademark choice of cultural disruptors and tastemakers so the studio came together with Shoe Gallery to provide our own interpretation of the Air Max legacy and its exciting future.
Durags created a shirt and original character for the campaign. Andres provided designs for the campaign and Aldhair directed the creative vision. A line wrapped around the block for the activation and live screen printing at Shoe Gallery. For Durags, pulling up to see the fervor and excitement for his designs was a moment he'll never forget. As he tells it, "it was very cool seeing the Durags Nike swoosh I made being printed live and it only made me feel more confident in my craft." Taken even further, it was a chance to visualize a future collaboration with Nike. As he tells it, "it just gave me hope that one day I can be at the caliber in which I can actually design a whole sneaker silhouette with Nike."
So how does it feel to work on a campaign featuring one of the most beloved sneakers in the world? In Durags' words,
"I had a bit of pressure because of the deadline... but I definitely enjoyed creating the front graphic, because subtly I told the story of the Air Max 1 "big bubble"
He continues, "I love telling a story within what I do, but I never like it to be straight forward,"
Even with everything happening on the Air Max side of things, we’re not ones to miss out on Miami festivities. Over in Miami Gardens, tennis pros were lighting it up at the Miami Open. Studio members were in attendance doing “market research” about that life of leisure. Catch us on the PGA Tour and the ATP Tour, fully fitted in U2S.
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