John Varvatos’ collaboration with Converse gets off to a wildly successful start. The collection respects Converse’s century-long heritage but is totally transformed by Varvatos’ unique vision and urban-rocker sensibility.
“My son, who’s a little bit of a punk, and wears Converse every day, told me to be sure not to f*ck up the brand,” laughs John.
At the intersection of Converse, pop culture and fashion, the partnership gives rise to reinterpreted versions of many classics—including the Chuck Taylor All Star and the Jack Purcell—and starts a much-imitated trend with the now infamous John Varvatos Laceless Chuck Taylor. More recently, the Converse Weapon has become another iconic design for the ages.
In the hilarious words of Simon Doonan, published in GQ:
“John has an in-depth understanding of the American-male psyche. He knows that above all else, guys are fundamentally lazy, especially when it comes to matters of style and dress. They have no desire to fuss with cufflinks, pocket squares, or anything else that requires time and energy. They are much too busy doing things like watching the Super Bowl or listening to their Led Zeppelin vinyls. So John does something so simple it's almost criminal: He takes the favorite shoe of the American male—the Converse sneaker—and makes it a slip-on. It's the most life-changing style invention since the dickey.”
