Writer: Stephanie d’Arc Taylor
Foot Loose
Tapping into a growing mainstream sneaker culture, The Nou Project makes collectible shoes for art lovers, sneaker heads, as well as people who appreciate fine fashion.
Sneakers have changed so much since Nike debuted their first Air Jordans in 1984. What was once a nuanced, underground street culture has turned into a mass-consumer business and marketing bonanza. Shops now vie to get their own exclusives and this has led to the evolution of the camp-out and release-day madness. In turn, we are seeing more and more collectors of this once utilitarian footwear, and of course connoisseurs, as well as an ever-larger customer base that’s continually on the lookout for hard-to-find limited editions.
“Today, things are different,” say Basma Chidiac who founded the brand The Nou Project with her friend Nour Tamimi. “Sneaker trends are now responding to a new working lifestyle that millennials have set. And what I mean by that is more and more people are working from home and refusing to adapt to the nine-to-five model established by previous generations. And when you work from home, your way of dressing is typically more casual. So there’s no need for a suit anymore. High fashion now reflects this new shift too and has been forced to adapt to this effervescent new generation.”
Converse, Vans, or Jack Purcells used to be your ticket into the ‘Laid-back & Stylish Club’, but the game has moved on. Archetypal millennials now want to feel as though the clothes they wear represent their individual personalities, even if they’re doing nothing more than trolling social media all day long. So the most exciting sneaker releases these days – the ones that cause people to queue around the block – are the ones that are limited to as few as 100 pairs. Primarily, the trainer is no longer for training, it had become something far more rarefied: a collector’s item whose value has nothing to do with any individual attributes or functionality. Its importance is now what it represents, and those with the highest value have the sorriest destiny – a box – because, the moment you wear sought after trainers, you devalue them.
This is where The Nou Project comes in: they make collectible trainers that are supposed to be used and abused. The brand, inspired by the blisters Tamimi acquired after a week of walking around New York in heels, emerged in 2016 with a fresh line of sneakers that featured reproductions of pop-art paintings. “In terms of the collection,” says Tamimi, “it’s a combination that works. People appreciate a limited edition commodity, standing out, and having something unique and special that won’t be reproduced, and is therefore hard to find.”
Working with artists they’d met during their respective post-graduate degrees (Chidiac, who is Lebanese, attended Parsons the New School for Design in New York; Tamimi, who is Saudi, went to Sotheby’s Institute of Art in Los Angeles), the pair spent months developing their first prototype based on specific designs.
The base is either a high-top or medium-rise sneaker that’s minimal to the point of austerity (not a stitch is visible and no patterns are embossed in the recycled rubber soles) and architectural (with no discrepancy in texture and a grain leather surface that’s incredibly smooth). Indeed, the first time you lay your eyes on a pair you may well be reminded of Brutalist barefaced concrete. Then again, the slab sides are juxtaposed by some undulating feminine curves across the vamp and topline. Refreshingly, this base trainer with its alluring austerity can be purchased as is, or you can opt for one that has been bequeathed an artwork, typically in a numbered edition of 300 pairs worldwide.
The Nou Project’s most-publicised shoe is a collaboration with James Rawson and features his painting of a sky blue toy water gun with a red trigger. Another design, of which there are only 55, shows Barack Obama making a rude one-fingered hand salute; a painting by artist and former South Park animator, Eric Yahnker. Artists are paid a one-time fee in exchange for the rights to reproduce their work a specific number of times. “The fee is equivalent to us buying an artwork of theirs,” Tamimi adds.
But what kind of art works best on a sneaker? “I think the beauty of the brand’s concept is that there’s no limit to what defines ‘art’, and there are so many cool and fun ways to explore this with different artists,” Chidiac says. “It’s exciting because it’s so enriching to have artists’ visions come to life in different ways.”
But Tamimi offers an alternative view, explaining that there are limitations. “We love art made out of wire, glass or plaster, especially Dan Flavin’s neon lights! But that wouldn’t be very functional on sneakers,” she says with a mischievous smile.
The Nou Project shoes are available globally online, as well as closer to home at Levels Shoe District in the Dubai Mall. Aside from a desire to proudly represent their Arab roots, the founders are enthusiastic about being part of a creative movement in the Middle East. “There is growing opportunity and support for young designers in the region,” says Tamimi, “and this is allowing young creatives the opportunity to rise and be heard.”