Source: A Ma Maniere / AMM
Over the past few years the Air Jordan and A Ma Maniére collaborations has proven to be one of thee most popular sneaker releases in the game thanks to superb colorways and overall attention to detail.
Whether it was the Air Jordan 1 or the Air Jordan 3, sneakerheads had to add those A Ma Maniére collaborations to their collection and weekly rotation. Now with the release of their collaboration of the Air Jordan 12 amongst us, Hypebeast sat down with A Ma Maniére founder, James Whitner to talk about what his collaboration with Jordan Brand has meant to his team and the positive Black messages they bring with each iteration of a Jordan classic and of course what to expect with the AMM Air Jordan 12’s.
Following A Ma Maniére’s Air Jordan 3, Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 2 and Air Jordan 4 collaborations, these Air Jordan 12s are equipped with quilted liners and supple suede dyed in a signature burgundy hue. Accompanying the shoes is an apparel assemblage that includes a jacquard down-filled puffer, a nylon shirt and pant set, a suede knit tracksuit set and monogram jacquard hoodies and tees. To further express its feminist side, A Ma Maniére gave ladies first access to its in-store and online raffles.
While some of the Air Jordan x A Ma Maniére collaborations are made exclusively for women and even have messages just for them, men naturally have to have them and will go out and purchase the sizes that fit them as when it comes to sneakers, styles and colorways have no genders so long as they can fit in them. As to why Whitner goes this route for certain releases, there’s a pretty dope and straightforward thought process to that practice.
Black women move and shape the world. Period, point blank. Look at everything around you from how the world expresses itself, dresses and seeks inspiration — it’s all powered by the essence and creativity of Black women. Do they ever get credit for it? Hell no! They put the whole world on to what’s important, to what’s next, are the pulse of every community, and still have to deal with the compound issues of being a Black person in our day and age and the issues you face with that. So as we started this chapter, the focus had to be on “her,” because she is too important to be ignored — and if we have the platform then it’s our responsibility to always use it to speak to what we see and experience. And once again, this is less about me and more about the world, how we all experience it. Our team reflects this. The women of our team and business show up daily to inform the direction we go in. That’s why this moment is important.
Props, Mr. Whitner.
As for why the Air Jordan 12 was chosen to be the latest silhouette to get the A Ma Maniére treatment, James Whitner explained that, “The Air Jordan 12 is an iconic silhouette that already sits at the pinnacle of luxury. In all fairness, the essence of the work is already there and in place, so our approach was to zero in on the details. That resulted in the burgundy hairy suede adding lush, regal details and staying consistent with the ideals of how the Black woman is royalty. We wanted her to be grounded in that as she’s recognized, acknowledged and celebrated. You then add the quilted liner to go with the highest level of black suede and white leather for the upper, and the final look was exceptional. The perspective was “this should be the shoe that “she” puts men on to and gets to own and excite the world with. Too often, you see the process go into how to make it feminine — we don’t subscribe to that thinking. For us it was always about what we could execute that she’d hold up as her own.”
When breaking it down the way he did, we have to get our hands on a pair and rock them with pride out on the streets, but of course, ladies first.
Now that the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 12 is officially set to hit the streets, sneakerheads await the next collaboration from this dynamic duo and though nothing has been made official as of yet, rumors have it that the Air Jordan 5 is the next sneaker to get remixed by James Whitner and his talented team. We can’t wait.
The “Black/Burgundy” colorway will be officially released on February 24 with the apparel pieces while the “White/Burgundy” pair will drop on March 2 exclusively through A Ma Maniére.
Will you be trying to copp a pair? Let us know in the comments section below.
