Everyone loves a good collab right? When big corporations take an interest in smaller more niche brands we are usually torn; watching with half excitement half with dred. The best collaborations are when both brands are seen equally and have a dope story to tell.

  We had the pleasure of being invited to the launch event of one of those equally yoked collabs: Brooklyn Circus and GAP!

  Black creators, designers, writers, and artists all pulled up to Dumbo House in BK to experience a brand that has constantly inspired us over the years and the event did not disappoint! We listened to an amazing convo where Ouigi Theodore talked about coming from Haiti to America and growing to embody both countries in his style and perspective. He also talked about his club promoting days, designing flyers and knowing when to walk away when something no longer “feels good”. We all left with some gems.

  Fashion and Harlem icon Dapper Dan was in the building showing love too! We know Dapper Dan had an earlier collab with GAP so it felt like we all got to witness a passing of the torch in real life. He was happy and excited to hear about The Aware Brand and told us that he loves how black men are stepping up and pushing the message of self awareness and self love. What a moment!

  Seeing this collab come to life is inspiring for us as we continue to launch new collections in partnership with Foot Locker. It also reminds us that you never know who’s watching and to stay the course and see the vision through to the end.

To learn more and shop the collab check out the BKc’s website!

Stay aware 👁

  Our people over at Black Brooklyn invited us to a dotSwoosh event at WOODstack on Flatbush Ave to be some of the first people to get information on how Nike is rolling out their Web3 initiatives. It was a very informative session with the focus being around co-creation, community, and making sure up and coming artists are paid for their contributions to sneaker and streetwear culture.

  Masooma and Nik did a great job facilitating the conversation, the audience had a lot of questions and concerns about how Nike intends to use Web3. The potential with Web3 is limitless and being at the event reminded us of the many ways we can integrate this technology into our business as well as where the opportunities are for partnerships and collabs.

Panelists:

Masooma Ali

Nik Rupp

Jasmine Gao

Nicole Chow

  Here’s a few notes we took on how Nike plans to move going forward in this new space. If you see something that aligns with you, hit em up!

1. Signature collections
2. Virtual drops
3. Athletes, creators, and collections + storefronts
4. Immersive experiences IRL

  As we go more and more into this unchartered territory it is critical to remember that autonomy and ownership are of the highest importance. When working with brands make sure you do your homework and ask questions! Shout to Nike for giving us an inside glimpse of their Web3 plans and for being intentional about working with all the dope creators that make streetwear and sneaker culture what it is!

Stay aware 👁

Legacy is super important to us at The Aware Brand. No other time of the year is the legacy of black people on display more than Black History Month. Even though black history is World and American history we are taking this month to give the tribe something special: our newest campaign all about being Black and Aware!

The main design is the I AM hoodie which draws inspiration from the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike of 1968. Our memories as well as civil rights documents are forever imprinted with the famous I AM A MAN signs that the sanitation workers wore during the strike. Those signs are a statement to the world that the men knew their worth and wouldn’t settle for anything less. Similarly, our hoodies are a statement to whoever reads them that the person wearing it is an aware human, and is aligned with the legacy of historical movements that were dedicated to liberating the minds and bodies of black people across the world. 

Show the world that you are aligned with the legacy of Black and Aware Humans that have always fought to push society and the world forward! Self awareness is the only starting point to truly transforming our lives. Click the link below to shop our capsule collection! Stay aware!

Shop collection here!