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The Migos’ Quavo to rock custom LeBrons and Currys in the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game
Sneaker artist Mache: ‘Quavo wanted one of each shoe, the LeBron and the Curry. That was the main thing.’
LOS ANGELES — One player in Friday night’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will be a little swaggier than everyone else. That drip will be brought to you by Migos’ Quavo, who will take the hardwood in custom Nike LeBron 15s and Under Armour Curry 4s, inspired by the hip-hop supergroup’s No. 1 album Culture II (which reached 1 billion streams in just 20 days) and designed by none other than go-to sneaker artist Dan “Mache” Gamache.
“Them the Culture Brons,” said Quavo in a video Mache posted to his Instagram on Thursday night. Each pair of shoes was presented to him at Finish Line’s All-Star kickoff party, at which the Migos graced the stage.”The Culture Brons and the Huncho Currys.” (A nod to his nickname, Huncho, and his joint album with Travis Scott, Huncho Jack.)
Mache previously worked with both Finish Line and Quavo last December, when he customized pairs of red, white and blue LeBron 15s, aka the “Huncho Berkmar Brons,” which the rapper presented to the basketball team at his alma mater, Berkmar High School in Georgia. A few months later, for 2018 All-Star Weekend, Finish Line commissioned Mache to paint 50 pairs of sneakers, 25 LeBrons and 25 Currys, for both the Migos and their hooping frontman. On Thursday, the NBA announced that Quavo had been added to the lineup of players (along with another addition, Justin Bieber) to star in the All-Star Celebrity Game, giving him a prime opportunity to break out the new heat on the court. (Don’t forget: Quavo can actually hoop.)
Before the game, The Undefeated caught up with the Connecticut-based Mache.
How were you approached about customizing Quavo’s All-Star kicks?
I’ve been working with Finish Line for a while, and my man Brandon Edler … they were already talking about All-Star Weekend … and we finally got the ball rolling. Quavo wanted one of each shoe, the LeBron and the Curry. That was … the main thing. We worked with a graphic designer to come up with ideas for the themes. Obviously, we wanted them to be about Culture II. … I literally overnighted all Migos’ pairs on Tuesday. I made 25 of each pair. I know Finish Line and Migos, they’re gonna do something, whether it’s giving it away to fans, family, friends or something.
What was the design process like?
I had to get all 50 pairs done in a week. That was a big reason why the theme was pretty clean and not too crazy, just because we had to replicate them in that quick of a turnaround. Yeah, we wanted to make them dope too, so pretty much what we did is we vectorized all the designs. I stenciled a lot of the stuff, in terms of the swooshes … and for the LeBrons, it was about speckling the midsoles. It’s a lot of prep, little tedious stuff. But the actual paint job wasn’t hard.
How did you approach incorporating the elements of the Culture II on the shoes?
It was too hard. It’s funny, because I actually did a pair of Culture-themed cleats for Julio Jones for last year’s Super Bowl. That was a lot more about detail because I was doing the real album art on the cleats and incorporating Julio. That was a challenge. This one was more about going by the design. It wasn’t too hard … more of a fun project. The quantity and the turnover was the biggest challenge, but I never say no.
Are the doves on the Currys stenciled?
Yeah, everything we did just for time. We plotted out stencils. They were one-offs for every single pair. There was a fresh stencil for every shoe that I did. So for all of the Currys, there were 50 sets of doves, 50 sets of ‘II’s,’ 50 sets of ‘Quavo’s.’ That was the best way.
Did you know Quavo would be playing in the Celebrity All-Star Game?
No. I think Quavo and Finish Line were hoping. I think they assumed he was going to play. Then when he finally did get added, it was good timing. I know he’s also doing the Adidas Celebrity Game, but obviously he’s not gonna wear LeBrons and Currys in the Adidas game. We knew that wasn’t gonna happen. So when he finally got added to the NBA game, it was like, ‘Oh, thank God!’ The shoes didn’t go to waste.
What was it like watching the video of Quavo’s reaction to seeing the shoes for the first time?
It’s always the best part. No matter how famous or popular the person is, you can’t fake if you’re happy or not. So to get the reaction, it’s always the most rewarding part for me still. If I have a chance to deliver a shoe myself, I do. But getting the video is just as good.
Do you think Quavo will wear both the LeBrons and the Currys in the Celebrity Game?
Oh, I’m most certain he will. I think he’s planning on wearing one pair each half.
What do you think Quavo represents in terms of fashion, swag and sneakers?
In terms of fashion, obviously a lot of brands are looking to entertainers as their icons now. It’s not so much like in the times when I grew up, when it was Bo Jackson or Michael Jordan pushing the units. It’s rappers like Kanye, Quavo, the Migos, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Kendrick doing a lot with Nike, all those guys. It’s great for the culture and helps bridge the gap. It’s dope because it gives me an opportunity to work with more clients.
Have you met Quavo?
I haven’t yet, but I’m sure at some point I will, especially if we keep working together. I’m just glad he knows who I am. He gave me a shout-out this time.