PAIR XXII // Amour

My first pair of chucks. I admire the playful nature of CDG and aimed to create a pop art-like concept. While paying homage to Warhol, this concept was also inspired by @avanope and how she deconstructs and experiments with designer logos. I definitely plan to experiment more with stamp like patterns and designs that emphasize an existing brand while simultaneously expressing my own ideas.

(PAIR XXII // Amour, Honey, December 2018, Leather paint on Converse x Comme Des Garcons)

PAIR XXI // Dragon Rosé

I stepped outside of my comfort zone with this pair and experimented with mythical dragons. This pair is inspired by Japanese tattoo aesthetic — it was so much fun and I appreciate the art form so much more after how long the details took to complete. So much respect for illustrators, tattoo artists and cartoonists for replicating reality and dreams in their own style.

(PAIR XXI // Dragon Rosé, Honey, December 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR XX // MCQUXXN

Inspired by Alexander McQueen’s Victorian and gothic aesthetic. The detail with the two headed snakes, roses, bees and jewels made creating this pair all the more fun. The bees were inspired but McQueen’s Spring 2013 collection along with insect embroidery found in his label.

(PAIR XX // MCQUXXN, Honey, December 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR XIX // LPHS x honey kicks

One boot represents admiring individuality as roses symbolize growth and the beauty of patience. The other one represents decadence of community through being driven by pleasure and instant gratification. Enjoy this collaborative project with @ethanisnguyen ‘s brand @lphsco & I.

(PAIR XIX // LPHS x honey kicks, Ethan Nguyen and Honey, November 2018, Leather paint on 1460 Mono Doc Martens)

PAIR XVIII // Stankonia

Inspired by Andre 3000’s body of work, musical identity, consumerism, pop art and streetwear! If you look closely you can see the phrases “extra extraterrestrial” on one shoe and “forever ever” on the other repeatedly. Working with monochrome colours and no colour blocks was definitely a challenge, as I compensated for the colour through extensive ink detail. I also picked up some inspiration from American tattooing styles through bold outlines on the piano and simple shading on the roses.

(PAIR XVIII // Stankonia, Honey, September 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR XVII // Sans Épines (without thorns)

This is my subtle take on romantic love without being sappy and corny, featuring two lovers pictured side by side in deep thought and infatuation. The vivid pastel tri-colour way for this pair inspired me not to take things too seriously and every once in a while, to stop and smell the roses. One side of the pair has yellow and pink colour blocks which represents the male's perspective and the latter which is pink and purple from the female's perspective ; Side by side, they share the pink common ground which stands for the birth of something new and together they celebrate their similarities and appreciate their differences. The cherry blossoms represent appreciating beauty while its there and to foster growth whether that is in yourself, relationships with your craft, passion or people. 

(PAIR XVII // Sans Épines, Honey, August 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR XVI // D's Advocate

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of duality and the space in between black and white. Both metaphorically and literally, the gap between polar opposites reminds me of the plethora of possibilities in life from colours to your life’s work. This pair took the most amount of time due to detailing and carefully not mixing black and white but placing them as close as possible and admiring the harmony. Is the linear work an illusion? How do we define something as innately “good” or “bad” and how did we identify black and white? Ask the Devil’s Advocate.

(PAIR XVI // D's Advocate, Honey, August 2018, Leather paint on Nike Cortez)

PAIR XV // Cherubhim

As my 15th pair, I was proud of myself for coming this far as a self taught artist. I constantly battle self-doubt and identifying with my gradual success and this pair serves as a tangible shield against my demons. The cursive is a reaffirmation to endure and to create for the sake of it while motivating others who fight the same demons. The pictured faces are projected identities of myself and how distorted identity and reality can feel -- reminding me to reflect at my own pace to stay grounded.

(PAIR XV // Cherubhim, Honey, July 2018, Leather paint on Nike Cortez)

PAIR XIV // Blonded Acid

Themes of distortion, duality and nostalgia were the main concepts I worked with, to represent the nonlinear path of memory and how hazy infatuation can feel. Inspired by Frank Ocean’s Blonde (2016) this pair highlights unrequited love whether it’s from a romantic lover or a lack of self-care. Subtly, I played with the lyric “These bitches want Nikes” and placed it on a pair of Nikes to contradict and prove Ocean’s point about materialism and a desire to express a fickle status.

(PAIR XIV // Blonded Acid, Honey, July 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR XIII // Cupid's Bow

Inspired by Serah Aloysius's nostalgic poetry & themes of long lasting love. Along the sides of the shoe are select verses from her work that resonated with me alongside imagery that I felt matched her words. For instance, the collarbones and neck represent vulnerability, the woman with her eyes closed symbolizes introspection and the wave like linear work that you can find on almost every pair represents mobility and growth.

(PAIR XIII // Cupid's Bow, Honey, July 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR XII // Melon Choly

Inspired by Tim Burton’s eccentric and gothic creative style, Pair XII elicits an eerie feeling through it’s dark illustrations while in contrast with the cheerful yellow colour blocks. The checkerboard pattern and other images are inspired by The Cure, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. This pair was illustrating my childhood monsters in a positive light and wondering why they’re considered monsters to begin with.

(PAIR XII // Melon Choly, Honey, July 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR XI // Channel Eleven

Frank Ocean’s album Channel Orange (2012) is the main inspiration for this pair, from his poetic lyrics, music videos and vivid narration. Ocean is pictured with multiple expressions which represent the wide range of emotions that highlight the human experience and how we are constantly evolving. From challenging hypermasculinity to questioning self worth, Pair XI and the album voice my anxieties about the past, present and future.

(PAIR XI // Channel Eleven, Honey, June 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR X // Golden Honeys

As my tenth pair as a mini milestone, I wanted to create something that was timeless and paid homage to some of my favourite films and shows that my client and I shared. The bright yellow colour blocks alongside a neutral grey exude vibrancy yet balance in this two-toned pair. From Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It", Netflix's "The Get Down", Jay Z's Magna Carta and Toronto's skyline, I used these mid Air Force Ones to conceptualize NY and Toronto's streetwear scene and culture. 

(PAIR X // Golden Honeys, Honey, June 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR IX // Icy Nines

Icelandic architecture from my eyes looks like mellow, pastel colours paired with lego-like buildings on a vast sky. This was my first time using a pistachio ice-cream like shade and definitely not my last. The muted tones and clear cut silhouette from this pair bring me solace and inspire me to explore minimalism.

(PAIR IX // Icy Nines, Honey, May 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR VIII // Hokusai Bloods

Inspired by Japanese culture, this pair pays homage to Hokusai's famous art work "The Great Wave off Kanagawa". In cursive, the words "7 lakes" appear repeatedly to reflect the client's brand in correlation with the nautical theme of the shoe. Red is deemed as a lucky colour in Chinese culture and I played around with that concept to represent fluidity and strength beside the waves and text.

(PAIR VIII // Hokusai Bloods, Honey, March 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)

PAIR VII // Hell's Angels

This pair was so much fun to illustrate as one shoe is based off of angelic and heavenly bodies whereas the other is demonic and hell inspired. My client wanted me to play around with the theme of "fallen angel" and being a lover of binaries, I decided to create two separately themed shoes that balance out when the inner heels are next to each other. Notions of "innately good" and "bad" are explored through grim reapers, skulls, halos, roses sans thorns and more. I truly doodled my heart out in an almost graffiti-like style and seeing the polar opposites side-to-side in order to complete each other is so satisfying morally and visually .

(PAIR VII // Hell's Angels, Honey, March 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1)

PAIR VI // Honey Blues

This pair touches on introspection, melancholy and falling in love. Excerpts from Kendrick Lamar lyrics can be found intertwined with illustrations of female anatomy and discrete faces. The cursive is intended to be legible only by myself and the owner of the shoes, kind of like a secret common understanding. To me, the blue colour blocks represent solitude and a sense of emptiness but also fulfilling the range of emotions we're capable of experiencing. If you've read the descriptions for most of the shoes, you can recognize this theme of binaries and how I like to narrate experiencing or wanting them both.

(PAIR VI // Honey Blues, Honey, March 2018, Leather paint on Nike Jordan 1s)

PAIR V // Golden Bones

As my fifth pair, I wanted these heels to exude my artistic flair and experiment with something a little more elegant than sneakers. Inspiration taken from Warhol's pop art style for the cartoon like bold shapes as well as Basquiat for informal abstract sketches and finally Matisse for smooth strokes with a paintbrush for seamless sketches. The main focus here is facial expression (and a lack thereof), female anatomy and empty rectangles that I like to call negative blocks.

(PAIR V // Golden Bones, Honey, February 2018, Leather paint on cream booties)

PAIR IV // Crowning Ceremony

Inspiration taken from multiple Kanye albums and Pharrell influences, the crimson paint acts as a highlight for the swoosh, graduation bear and more. I chose to include polaroids as a framing method to accentuate certain sketches and snapshots revolving around musical history. Pair IV was experimental as it doesn't include my iconic colour blocks as a background but instead integrates colour use within the sketches.

( PAIR IV // Crowning Ceremony, Honey, February 2017, Leather paint on Nike Jordan 1s)

PAIR III // Third Eye

Inspired by contradictory themes of materialism and a higher consciousness, this pair touches on reaping benefits from both realms. Raining cash pictured on one side to represent wealth next to a woman with her third eye open on the other shoe shows the different ways that wealth can be defined. Whether its affluence, being in tune with your soul (or both), Pair II reflects this binary on cool-toned beige colour blocks as I illustrate them interacting hand in hand.

(PAIR III// Third Eye, Honey, January 2018, Leather paint on Nike AF1)