Nick Jonas steps out to make a new line of sneakers with L.A.’s Creative Recreation
Celebrities are no strangers to high-profile sneaker collaborations. Kanye West has his Yeezy line with Adidas, while Rihanna designs the popular Fenty by Rihanna collection, including faux fur slides and velvet creepers, for Puma.
Now the latest in the lineup of celebrity-driven footwear partnerships is a collection of shoes with unisex designs from singer Nick Jonas for Los Angeles-based brand Creative Recreation.
The 1410 line, which launched Feb. 11, ranges from $75 to $150 and is available at www.cr8rec.com, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Shoe Palace. Last weekend, Jonas made a public appearance at Nordstrom at the Grove to promote the collection of six sneaker styles.
Jonas has been the face of Creative Recreation for the last year, but the sneaker line — its name refers to the numeric place in which the letters “N” and “J” land in the alphabet — is the pop star’s first foray into footwear design.
The process of creating the capsule collection of footwear was challenging for Jonas, who has been performing since age 7.
“The challenge was just the learning curve. Your imagination can run wild, and it’s about balancing that with how to go about making the best product and overall collection,” says Jonas during a recent interview. “The design team over at Creative Recreation, who clearly know what they’re doing, was really special and gave me freedom to venture out and try things.”
The result is sneakers that straddle the day-to-night, streetwear-meets-high-fashion aesthetic so popular (not to mention practical) right now. For example, the Castucci shoe is made of contrasting matte and patent leather and a subtle neoprene that peeks out at the tongue and at the back of the ankle. It’s part dress shoe/part sporty sneaker with a creeper-inspired sole, bringing an element of punk into the mix.
The Castucci might feel as good worn with gym sweats as the shoe might a suit. Then there’s the Carda sneaker, a clean, white shoe with perforated leather in parts and a shock of bright color at the back of the ankle in the style of an Adidas Stan Smith sneaker.
Having a line of unisex designs was a priority for Jonas, who says that a key part of 1410 was to create something men and women were drawn to.
“Whether it be music or acting projects, I really try to [include] a variety of men and women from all walks of life and all backgrounds,” says Jonas, adding, “So much of what I do is about involving all different kinds of people.”
The ad campaign for 1410 is evidence of his belief, with Jonas recruiting friends to be models alongside him. He also tapped L.A.- and New York-based fashion photographer Yu Tsai, whom Jonas has worked with in the past. (Jonas also compiled the photo-shoot playlist to reflect his creative process for making the shoes.)
And where should selections from the 1410 line be worn? To the office or to a wedding? Or how about next weekend to the Oscars red carpet with a tuxedo?
“I think it has become more acceptable to wear sneakers in a formal setting,” says Jonas. “I think there is the way of going about things, where as long as you’re confident and you’ve got the right pieces that are appropriate for the right events or whatever you’re going to, you can mix in certain things to keep it fresh and give it a little edge.”
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