When two masters of their industry come together to create something magical, you get a collaboration like Jordan x Vogue. Yes, you read that correctly. Jordan collaborated with Vogue (Anna Wintour herself) to create some iconic shoe designs. The result – a beautifully constructed, very-easy-on-the-eye product that I recently added to my closet. And also one that brought back memories of my long-time obsession with the iconic magazine.
Story time.
Ever since I was young, I’ve been obsessed with magazines. One of my childhood besties & I used to save up our quarters, ride our bikes to the grocery store and snag the newest gossip mag with NSYNC on the cover. We’d thumb through the pages and soak up every juicy detail. I’d keep the copies perfectly stacked on my shelf in pristine condition – even covering them in plastic for protection. OCD, anyone?
Once I was old enough, I somehow got a subscription to Teen Vogue. Scratch that. I definitely paid for it with my part-time pizza making job. Anyway… every time a new issue appeared in our mailbox, I would stay up late reading that thing front to back. I’d marvel at the designer ads. I’d read stories about teenage girls who had already become entrepreneurs. A quiz would tell me whether gold or silver jewelry was best for my skin tone. I specifically remember jumping for joy when Rachel Bilson graced the cover. But most of all, I would dream about how to afford all of the perfectly put-together outfits featured on endless spreads. Since I grew up in small town Iowa, all my awareness of major fashion brands sprang from those Teen Vogue pages.
Two things.
I could go on and on about what I took away from those hours of reading endless Teen Vogue issues. But two things really stick to this day. One, my constant obsession with the art of fashion (even if a lot of that is simply drooling over runways and street style). And two, my respect and awe for Anna Wintour. If you’re not familiar, she’s the ever-so-chic-and-flawless editor of Vogue, reigning for decades. I was instantly hooked on her once my world was shook by that simple magazine subscription. Ask my senior english teacher… I wrote and presented a research paper on Wintour’s influence on the fashion world. She hated it, and I got a C. But… #worthit.
So honestly, who would I even be if I didn’t own these autographed Jordan x Vogue sneaks? Wintour signs off on creative and editorial with the initials AWOK (Anna Wintour OK), so these fantastic shoes are respectfully named Air Jordan 3 AWOK & feature her sign-off on the back heel. The tweed fabric pays homage to her signature suits. And when I say these things feel like pure luxury, I’m not exaggerating. They’re beautiful.
All of this Jordan x Vogue stuff was kind of serendipitous. In December, I actually subscribed to Vogue after making a commitment to read more articles in 2019. Part of my intention thing. These sneaks had released in September, but I just found them at Nordstrom in January. I promptly ordered. So, my shoes show up a few weeks ago. Then my first subscription issue appears in the mailbox this week. And bam. All those memories come flooding back.
I had always envisioned being an “adult” with Vogue on my coffee table. For some reason, I think I related that to finally being “grown up”. I also probably thought being an “adult” looked a lot different. But look at me now… with Vogue on my coffee table and AWOK on my feet. Technically I guess it’s a bar cart… but I’ll take it.
Dream big, friends. Dream big.
xoxo. B
