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How Houston’s car culture is fueling Adidas’ new collaboration with Premium Goods – Andscape

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Houston native and longtime sneakerhead Jennifer Ford tapped into that very same dedication and pride when she created Premium Goods, the nation’s first Black woman-owned sneaker boutique, which was handed right down to her by her brother while he spent hours working on his car within the driveway.

While her brother tinkered around their house, Ford got a glimpse of Houston’s car culture. In the remaining of her neighborhood, she discovered car club meetings organized by different generations. Unbeknownst to Ford, she had built considered one of the primary independent sneaker boutiques in Texas in 2004 and had recently created the PG x Adidas Campus ’00 sneaker as an ode to Houston’s car culture and car clubs.

“It’s a group of people with a common love who can come together in a safe space and talk about things they enjoy, while also gaining guidance and helping others. We feel like this happens a lot in our store,” Ford said. “Our team is really informed about previous and new products, so they advise people. I feel like car clubs do the same thing.”

This edition of the Campus ’00 silhouette includes a hidden pocket that mimics a glove compartment and a cracked leather upper that reflects the imperfections of life and cars.

The Premium Goods team also desired to be sure that the colour red was the most important theme of this collaboration. According to the brand’s creative director, Joseph Kare, red is a central element of the Premium Goods brand resulting from its ability to precise boldness and power, and is associated with all of Houston’s major sports teams.

The car culture that is “rooted in the Houston nature,” as Ford likes to say, has followed her from her childhood driveway, to attending car meets in highschool, and now into her home as an adult. Once a month, car enthusiasts gather near Ford’s home for the group’s self-titled event Coffee and cars. The meetings spread throughout Texas and started to be organized commercially in 2004, the identical yr that Ford founded Premium Goods in Houston.

“This shoe represents all of them as a collective and even those who aspire to the automotive world,” Ford said.

For Ford, a very powerful a part of the campaign is its collaboration with the Adidas Cornerstone Community. This initiative helps BIPOC-focused retailers by offering resources for ongoing support, hosting community events, and providing training from industry leaders. In partnership with Cornerstone Community, Premium Goods will donate a percentage of shoe sales to Dekaney High School’s automotive technology program, whose curriculum exposes students to the automotive industry through car care clinics, safety workshops and driver teaching programs.

“These programs aren’t as common in schools these days as they used to be, assuming funding has been removed from them, but this is a great opportunity for youth who don’t necessarily want to go to college but can still find something they really like.” Ford said. “There are many individuals on this country whose careers and lives depend upon the automotive industry, and plenty of of them, unfortunately, cannot go to school, but they create these careers and make a living from them. It’s similar to in America.”

Given Houston’s wealthy history and culture, Ford and Kare’s goal was to not overwhelm themselves by making a shoe that represents every aspect of town; as a substitute, the creative duo desired to pay tribute to the community living within the noisy city.

“Our goal was to create a well-balanced design,” Kare said. “There is a whole lot of intersection between our customers who’re occupied with cars and likewise sneakers. We feel that communities ultimately mirror one another. In a dream world, we might have had many more opportunities to create designs that showcased all the good things about Houston, but we only had one model and we wanted to point out off something that is somewhat underrated.

Ford associates cars with various core memories from adolescence to maturity. She remembers being with her older sister and seeing transport trucks in her neighborhood and MOMO wheels with shiny, colourful lights under the car.

“It was almost like a rite of passage,” Ford said. “I could not wait to be 16 and be cool, but then you definately realize how much money you’ve got, what you truly get and what you’ll be able to do with those limitations. Many people associate memories with cars and the independence that comes with them.

Jennifer Ford is the founding father of Premium Goods boutique in Houston, Texas.
Joseph Kare is the creative director of Premium Goods.

Ford got here from a modest family and knew she would must work for her first car. She did what many other teenagers do and went to the local mall to search for a job. When her grandmother died, she left her a car, which Ford was capable of sell for $600. She saved one other $600 and in 1996 bought a 1984 Honda Accord.

“It was pretty old, but it was fun,” Ford said. “I have a great dad, but he definitely pushes me to study. So if your tire got flat, he wouldn’t replace it for you. He would show me how to replace it, and if something went wrong with my car, he wouldn’t take me to a mechanic to fix it. I would have to go and price it and then he would go and price it and show me the difference in what they would charge men and women.”

Ford’s independence and self-protection evolved into the well-oiled machine that is today’s premium goods. After receiving the decision from Adidas, Ford, Kare and the team met internally and quickly decided that Houston’s car clubs and culture can be their inspiration.

After deciding on the concept, the Premium Goods team met with Adidas again for guidance on material selection. Ford and Kare used their previous experience working with major brands, reminiscent of two Nike Air Force 1 colorways, to assist guide them.

“Because we’ve been in business for 20 years, we’ve seen a lot of shoes come in and out of people’s homes,” Kare said. “We knew we definitely wanted cracked leather and suede because we felt it represented the aging and imperfection that exists in car design. Once we got the first sample, we didn’t have to make many changes.”

As Premium Goods celebrates its twentieth anniversary, Ford and Kare see their customers grow up and return to the boutique with their children. Kare also noted that by watching their clients grow, they’ve the chance to see them evolve as business owners and as people.

The brand was inspired by watching customers undergo subsequent stages of life and develop an interest in styles add a kid’s boutique to his offers.

“We wanted to provide them with an environment where their child could come in and pick out their own shoes and still provide a safe environment for the child,” Ford said. “It’s definitely not a huge money maker, but it’s fun for us to give away gifts and shop for the whole family. Plus, who doesn’t love photos of the whole family with everyone wearing matching sneakers.”

For Ford, it is not nearly selling lifestyle or limited-edition shoes, but greater than that, not taking with no consideration the luxurious of waking up and with the ability to go to work with her friends while making an impact on the community that raised her.

Alexis Davis is a former Rhoden Scholar. She loves pairing suits with sneakers and might name any shoe you show her. She quit basketball to cheer in highschool, but she hopes the ladies’s basketball coverage she does now will make the game forgive her for moving to the opposite sideline.


This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Jussie Smollett’s 2019 Self-Attack Conviction Overturned – Andscape

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the choice to fireside an actor Jussie Smollett conviction on charges of organizing a racist and anti-gay attack on himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lying to police.

The the state’s highest court ruled that the special prosecutor shouldn’t have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state’s attorney initially dropped charges against Smollett in exchange for waiving $10,000 bail and performing community service. The ruling and appeal didn’t address Smollett’s continued claim of innocence.

Smollett, who’s black and gay, claims two men attacked him, hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and placed a noose around his neck, resulting in an enormous seek for suspects by Chicago police and sparking a world uproar. Smollett was starring in a television drama that was filmed in Chicago, and prosecutors alleged that he organized the attack because he was unhappy with the studio’s response to hate mail he received.

“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and considered it unfair,” Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote in a 5-0 decision. “Nevertheless, more unfair than the resolution of any single criminal case would be for this court to find that the state is not obliged to honor agreements on which people have relied to their detriment.”

Smollett’s attorneys argued that the case ended with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropped initially 16 counts of disorderly conduct. A grand jury reinstated the fees after a special prosecutor took over the case. The jury convicted Smollett of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021

Emails searching for comment were sent Thursday to Foxx’s office and Smollett’s attorney, who argued that Smollett was the victim of a racist and politicized justice system.

Testimony at trial showed that Smollett paid $3,500 to 2 men he knew to perform the attack. Prosecutors said he told them what insults to shout and shout that Smollett was in “MAGA country,” an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign slogan.

Smollett testified that “there was no fraud” and that he was the victim of a hate crime in his downtown Chicago neighborhood.

He was sentenced to 150 days in prison, six of which he had already served released pending further notice — 30 ​​months probation and ordered to pay roughly $130,000 in restitution.

The state appeals court’s ruling upheld Smollett’s conviction, declaring that nobody promised Smollett that he would not face a brand new charge after accepting the unique deal.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis and Justice Joy Cunningham didn’t take part in Thursday’s decision.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Lil Baby didn’t just rap about change – he went to Harvard to achieve it – Essence

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Songwriter of the Year Award winner Lil Baby speaks on stage on the ASCAP R&S Music Celebration on the London Hotel on June 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for ASCAP)

Lil Baby will not be only considered one of the most important names in hip-hop – he can also be an aspiring entrepreneur who’s serious about taking his business knowledge to the subsequent level.

The GRAMMY Award-winning rapper recently participated in Harvard Business School’s “Launching New Ventures” program, a prestigious short course designed to help entrepreneurs grow their ventures through modern strategies. The program, which will not be a level-granting initiative, focuses on key entrepreneurial tools, including opportunity assessment, competitive evaluation and developing sustainable business models, – we read on this system’s website.

For Lil Baby, born Dominique Armani Jones, the move was greater than just earning bragging rights. Known for hits like and , the Atlanta native has all the time been open about his desire to construct a legacy beyond music. As head of his record label 4PF (Four Pockets Full), he is committed to creating opportunities for artists and running a business that will not be only profitable, but in addition influential. However, he realized that running a successful label required honing his skills, and Harvard was the right place for this.

Movie shared on X On Wednesday, we got to see Lil Baby participating within the show. The clip ended on a touching note as he was presented together with his certificate of completion, followed by a surprise ceremony organized by his family.

While critics were quick to indicate that he didn’t “graduate” from Harvard – despite misleading headlines – his decision to commit to this system is critical in itself. Shows like “Launching New Ventures” offer insights that may transform corporations and help entrepreneurs overcome challenges, and Lil Baby’s presence signals his commitment to constructing a legacy that goes far beyond music. For Lil Baby, the move is an element of a broader commitment to securing his position not only as a rapper, but in addition as a mogul. His commitment to self-improvement reflects the values ​​he promotes through his music: perseverance, resilience and development.

It’s also value noting that Lil Baby’s decision to attend Harvard sends a powerful message to his community, especially Black entrepreneurs. In a world where barriers to business education still exist, his decision to pursue higher education shows that it’s never too late – or too unconventional – to take what you are promoting seriously.

As Lil Baby grows, one thing is obvious: his diligence knows no limits. Whether he’s behind the microphone or within the classroom, he proves that the important thing to success is to continually strive for more.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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More proof that you’re old: Mary J. Blige’s “My Life” album debuted 30 years ago

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mary j blige, mary j blige my life, 90s music,

I actually remember November 1994. I used to be a sophomore in highschool and was still very clumsy and goofy. I hadn’t yet experienced what anyone would call a growth spurt, as evidenced by the very fact that my younger sister (three years younger) was taller than me. At this point in my life, I assumed I used to be destined to be certain I had a terrific personality that would give me a romantic future. I used to be told about one young student who was in love with me, but being 15 and never big, I didn’t really trust in my ability to pursue a dating life. In 1994, I saw myself because the Steve Urkel with no unreachable neighbor.

In 1994, I had a real love: music. I kept buying cassettes and compact discs; there was at all times music around me. Listening to the newest music from anyone and everybody was my hobby. Mary J. Blige was one in every of those artists that I used to be an enormous fan of. I mean, everyone really was. Her album “What’s the 411?” was released in July 1992, so when school began in August, it was one in every of those albums that everyone was talking about. “True Love” and him one other hip-hop remix the most popular songs were on fire and you can start an impromptu jam session in my middle school dining room by simply saying “true love” out loud.

(*30*)

To say that the anticipation for Mary’s second album was enormous can be the understatement of the yr. I still remember being blown away by the music video for the primary single “Be Happy” on MTV and BET’s “Video Soul”. I remember this mainly because I used to be so frightened about Mary’s life standing on those rocks. Of course she survived the video session, but I used to be very concerned for her safety. I could not imagine life without Mary. I purchased this single and mainly burned a hole in it.

Then got here the monster single “I’m Goin’ Down.” The remake of Rose Royce’s single from the movie “Car Wash” (titled “I’m Going Down”) had all of the black girls in my highschool able to break up with their boyfriends so that they too could sing about it lost love – teenage hormones cause strange problems. Let me just say this for the record: Mary’s version of this song is totally amazing. Her performance on the album is known; you can hear all the experience through her vocals.

(*30*)

If Mary stopped making music at this point, she would already be a legend, I actually consider that. But this whole album is a radiator from start to complete. Even today, once I hearken to “My Life”, my search ends in failure; “My Life” is largely a consolation at this point in my life. From “You Bring Me Joy” to the title track to the ultimate minute of “I Never Wanna Live Without You,” this album is a portal back in time to a version of me that was interested by what life had to supply. I used to be given the vocal type of Mary J. Blige to soundtrack this journey.

It’s also crazy to think about it this manner: “My Life” got here out at a time in my life once I was already driving a automotive. Sure, I used to be 15, but my father also let me drive himself, my siblings, and my friends wherever we would have liked to go because he got bored with running errands. We just agreed that if I got pulled over, he would not know I used to be taking the automotive. Coincidentally, although I used to be in a position to use the automotive at no cost for a solid yr before I could even apply for a driving license, I failed my driving test the primary time I took it on my sixteenth birthday. You’ve never seen a father more lost and upset in his son than my father was that day. We now call my father’s facial expressions “core memory.”

If you’re reading this because you’ve got seen the words of Mary J. Blige and “My Life,” you then, like me, are in a phase of life where you’re continually reminded that you’re not only getting old, but you might actually be old. I will not be old as hell, but I’m too old to be within the club, you realize?

Fortunately, nonetheless, my journey so far in my life includes a number of the best works of musical art in existence, similar to Mary J. Blige’s 1994 album “My Life.” This album – just like the profession of its lead voice, Mary J. Blige – brings me joy.


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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