Fountain of Yus - #012
Salaam Walaykum, how are you? Back again with the latest issue of FOY. In this issue we cover Sports, Web3 and the South African music scene, enjoy.
From London to Soweto: A Boiler Room affair
In continuation of their partnership with Ballantines, Boiler Room is set to return to Johannesburg for a 4-day experience, this time in the city’s largest township, Southern Western Township (Soweto).
The experience features a host of events including a vogue ball extravaganza, an Amapiano dance masterclass, an event celebrating the artists who have carried the South African sound to the global stage and also a talk on how the township has influenced the South African music scene. For me, the talk is what really highlights how authentic this experience is. The township is embedded in South Africa's past, present and future. Townships were underdeveloped urban communities socially engineered by the apartheid government as a part of its racial segregation policy.
Given this context, it was natural that escapism became common in the townships and this made townships a breeding ground for an array of sounds that captivated the nation’s ears and eventually the world’s too. Famous artists like Miriam Makeba and Brenda Fassie, sounds like Bacardi house, and kwaito (Township funk, a classic) were all born in the township. In recent times, the genres of Gqom, followed by Amapiano, have become a global phenomena. Both genres started in the township, however the places in which we hear this music are far removed from the context within which they were born and often do not acknowledge this. Yet with this curated experience, Boiler Room is taking a positive step in rectifying that.
The South African townships are the bedrock of South African dance music, hats off to Boiler Room for paying homage to that. An experience built on authenticity.
Nike’s .Swoosh studio has arrived
After its launch in late 2022, Nike’s .Swoosh studio is finally live. To kick it off, the swoosh brand invited its community to co-create the brand’s first ‘Our Force 1’ collection with them. The brief was simple, users were instructed to tell a visual story via creating a moodboard and share it on their Instagram profile. Through this Nike not only communicated that storytelling took preference over design but also that they were making participation more accessible, as while not everyone can design, many more know how to use Pinterest (to create a moodboard). The winner of the contest received $5000, plus an opportunity to partner with a Nike designer, to create their own virtual Air Force 1.
While many rushed to Web3 to be the first in the space, Nike are making moves designed to make them last. Through .Swoosh, Nike are building their Web3 on principles that show an understanding of their audience; inclusive, accessible and participatory. Not to mention, they are also using the .Swoosh platform as a means to educate their audience on all things Web3, through physical activations and digital content, making sure community members can grow with them while attracting more too.
The contest, entitled ‘Your Force 1’ was a great way for .Swoosh to go live and certainly leaves us excited for what the future it holds. Imagine the winner got to wear their virtual shoe in a game, how cool would that be?
Nike stays evolving with the culture.
Life imitating art
The 2022 World Cup (albeit controversial) was filled with moments that had fans glued to their screens and living vicariously through players and teams. One of these teams was the Japanese national team, whose performance captured the imagination of viewers across the globe. Following a series of convincing ‘David beats Goliath’ performances in their World Cup run, it was soon pointed out that the team's performances paralleled a popular manga turned anime series, Blue Lock, the anime series the national team's blue jersey was inspired by.
Inspired by Japan’s disappointing run in the 2018 World Cup, the story follows a coach on a quest to build a super team capable of competing at the highest level. Art turned reality as the Japanese national side went on to beat European heavyweights Germany and Spain, with goals in the Spain match mirroring those scored in the popular anime.
The influence content has on viewers is often understated, especially the younger generation, who spend the majority of their time on their screens. In modern times, content has become a great way to not only inspire viewers but also educate them. Similar success has been seen in other sport-related series. For instance, The Queen’s Gambit series saw a surge of interest in chess. Within the first 10 days of the series release, sales of chess sets went up by 273% on eBay, chess.com saw an increase in users and the game attracted a growing female participation base too. Much is the same with Formula 1 which has attracted a young audience thanks to its Drive to Survive series. A study taken in 2022 showed that over 50% of fans started watching the sport because of the series, with another study showing 77% of new fans were aged 16 - 35. It is therefore no surprise that tennis is now following suit with its Break Point series, an attempt to introduce a younger audience to its new generation of stars as a legendary era nears its end.
The success of these shows highlights that if you want to reach a new audience it's not only important to first go to where they are but also present yourself in a way that is relatable.
adiClub Jamaica
After previewing the kit at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, adidas finally dropped the long-awaited Jamaican Football Federation kits at the start of last week. With one of the biggest lifestyle brands joining forces with one of the biggest cultural producers of the world, it was bound to be a recipe for success.
The kits were designed by Wales Bonner, renowned fashion designer of Jamaican descent, who lived up to her unique style of creating beauty in simplicity. Being Wales Bonner, she reinvented the wheel via a small touch that made a world of difference - adding pockets to the shorts. This of course was a polarising addition but I appreciate the addition as it gives the shorts utility beyond the pitch, with fans now being able to wear the shorts in other social settings and not feel limited. To top it off, the kits were made with 100% recyclable material.
Kicking off the release with kits being donned by UK legend Kano, rising star Nia Archives and some Reggae Girlz stars to name a few, the launch dominated social media. After the launch came the celebration, of course, with adidas hosting a celebratory evening at their flagship store in Oxford street in collaboration with cultural platform, TRENCH. The event consisted of performances from Grime legend D Double E and DJ sets from Sir DJ Corey and DJ Kaylee Kay to name a few, as well as live art from Kieron Boothe. The event served as a tribute to Jamaican culture and its rich influence on the UK scene.
The week of celebrations ended in Jumbi, Peckham with a Club Jamaica experience in partnership with VERSUS. The event was a celebration of Jamaica’s cultural history, featuring sounds of the island nation, art workshops, a small football pitch, panel talks and of course Jamaican cuisine too. A great way to culminate a massive cultural moment in football.
From a cultural lens, the partnership was always bound to be a successful one but what stood out to me was adidas’ commitment to Jamaican football beyond the hype. As part of the partnership, adidas will work closely with the Jamaican Football Federation and local clubs in the region to develop the next generation of the Reggae Boyz and Girlz, ensuring the partnership has a direct impact on the development of the game on the island. Considering both the men's and women's side are in need of development to reach higher levels, it was highly important that adidas made such a commitment.
Carnival last year was dominated by Arsenal’s tribute kit released ahead of the annual celebrations, this year it feels like that might be different.
Yuseful Notes
Just did it: The official trailer for Air, a film based on the story of Nike, is out now.
Raheem the Dream: Sterling sports the latest sneaker collaboration between New Balance and Stone Island.
Dating apps got you down? Still looking for the right catch? Then desperate discs have you covered, throw yourself into dating with these flirty frisbees.
Pharrell Forever: Pharrels brings his Human Race brand in partnership with adidas to Paris Fashion Week.
Pharrell again: Multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams has been appointed as the new Creative Director of Louis Vuitton, but this isn’t their first link-up.
New Kid on the Block: Dubai Fashion Week gets added to the official international calendar.
Lebron x Liverpool: Lebron drops a collab collection with Liverpool FC.
Super Bowl Frenzy: Philadelphia’s Art Museum set to loan an art piece from Kansas’ Art Museum’s permanent collection.
Monclizzy Benz: Moncler and Mercedes tease an upcoming collab.
Remontada: Renowned designer Phoebe Philo returns under an eponymous label.
Off-Beauty: Isamaya Ffrench is now the beauty curator of Off-White.
Lord of the Verse: Jammer takes his basement to the Metaverse.
Forest Skate: Nottingham Forest’s January signing loves to skate too.
New beginnings: Gucci appoints new creative director, Sabato De Sorno.
Samba Style: Why the classic trainer is experiencing a resurgence.
Tech: Want to stay updated on the latest ongoings in tech? Developers Afterparty is the newsletter for you.
UnderPak: Undercover and Eastpak release the latest collection of their ongoing partnership.
What Would Yus Do?
Sharing upcoming experiences that I find interesting and you may potentially too.
The Art of Genius: Moncler Genius returns to London on the 20th.
Visual Stimulation: Art exhibitions to see this month.
Cloud 9: Loewe partners with anime series ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ for an immersive experience at Selfridges.
Creatively Fit: Find the ideal exercise club for your tribe. Catch me at Tempo Tuesdays.
Minor Daemon Volume 1: A dystopian feature film by Jon Rafman presenting a ‘computer-generated fever-dream universe’.
Redefining the body: A Vogue x Snapchat exhibition curated by Edward Enninful.
Support in Style: Gauchoworld release t-shirt in collaboration with 99Ginger, all proceeds go to aiding relief in the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Between The Stacks: Lydia Garnett’s latest exhibition.
Immersive Art: Immerse yourself in Salvador’s artworks.
Rave & Resistance: How Club Culture started in South Africa during the apartheid era.
More Art: Free exhibitions you can attend this month.
Sonic Yus
A playlist consisting of all the songs I’m obsessing over in between each issue.
That’s all for now
Until next time,
Yus