Emerging designers debut new sneaker designs during NYFW: Men's under CFDA x Reebok partnership

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Feb 7, 2020

Reebok and The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) have teamed up to sponsor five up-and-coming designers featured during New York Fashion Week: Men's. 

Continuing a partnership that began in 2018 to foster new fashion talent, the CFDA and Reebok let designers re-imagine Reebok's most popular sneaker models--including the Club C, Classic Nylon and Classic Leather, as well as the Zig Kinetica, one of Reebok's newest silhouettes -- with Reebok providing support and mentorship. 

The selected menswear designers include Kenneth Nicholson, a Los Angeles-based designer whose namesake label, launched in 2016, is partially inspired by his military background; NIHL, a brand owned and founded by artist and designer Neil Patrick Grotzinger; Keenkee, a New York-based label founded by Seoul-born designer Kee Kim in 2018; Paa, the sophisticated ‘normcore’ brand founded by Peter Jurado and Al Verik; and Victor Li, the eponymous New York-based 'pancultural' menswear brand known for its knitwear. 

To promote the 2020 partnership, Reebok and the CFDA hosted an immersive experience featuring each designer’s shoe -- along with sketches, swatches and mood boards depicting the design process -- during the men's fashion week, which hit a new low for designer participation this season with only 23 labels on its calendar. 

“Our continued partnership with the CFDA enables us to discover, grow and empower the next generation of American designers,” said Karen Reuther, Reebok VP creative direction and future.

“Through industry exposure, close mentorships and unparalleled experience in design, our goal is to support these promising designers with a foundation that will propel them onto the next stage of their creative journeys.” 

“Reebok’s continued support and mentorship provides emerging talents with the opportunity to develop their brands in new and modern ways,” said Mark Beckham, CFDA’s vice president of marketing and events.

“Access to Reebok’s global expertise gives these small, entrepreneurial designers valuable tools to take their businesses to the next level.” 

The designers’ shoes are not for sale and were solely featured in their Men’s FW20 presentation.