When you take sneakers this seriously, they better be arty
The Nou Project is about a line of contemporary cutting edge trainers, which turn the humble sports shoe into a collectible. Here, it’s all about wearing your art on your sleeve. Or on your feet?
There was a time when you knew a girl loved her fashion because she wore heels with everything — well that is now so last season. Today’s fashion girl wears her sneakers. These sneakers of course, spell style and with every fashion brand from Jimmy Choo to Zara having sneakers as part of their selection, you are spoilt for choice. But a true member of the style-set will hunt for those sneakers that make a unique statement. And that’s where homegrown brand, The Nou Project, fits in. Founded by Saudi-born Nour Al Tamimi and designed by Lebanese born Basma Chidiac, both girls are 28 years old. Footwear is an artform for The Nou Project, as the brand designs a limited edition line of sneakers in collaboration with contemporary artists. The girls first met at Coachella, the annual music and arts festival held in California’s Palm Springs in 2014. Says Nour, “I was completing my Sotheby’s degree and Basma was enrolled in Parsons. We instantly clicked and were seeing each other every day. The Nou Project was my final thesis at Sotheby’s and after explaining to Basma the idea of joining art and sneakers together in a new way, she fell in love with the concept too. We’ve been working on it ever since.”
The first collection has three hundred pairs and the first artists they worked with were Rex Chouk, from Saudi Arabia and James Rawson from the United Kingdom. Says Basma, “In the beginning, it was more challenging to get artists on board as it was simply an idea in the process of being executed. However, after we had our first edition of artists it was much easier to get more artists on board as the idea was now a reality.” And now that they are retailing at Dubai Mall’s Level Shoes, doors should really start to open.
Being a truly au courant brand their sneakers are sustainable. Explains Basma, “When I first joined Parsons, they made us take a sustainability pledge. Every student had to promise to become ecoconscious in their decisions and their designs. I think it is a great way to enforce that in the shapers of the future. From then on, I keep it in mind every time I design anything. We all have a responsibility to respect the environment and make sure that whatever practices we conduct are reflective of our ideologies.”
But it is not just the artworks that make their sneakers an object of desire, the canvas, the actual sneaker is also designed artistically. Their signature high top has a very modern minimalist feel. “Since we have artists works on sneakers, the high top allows for more space on the canvas. Also we started designing with New Yorkers in mind, and noticed that the high top aesthetic fitted most with their daily lives. We added a line of low tops and we have given the artists the choice to work on either. It is not surprising that most of them have chosen the high top as it allows for more room for art,” explain the girls.
While next season there is a lot of talk about loafers making a comeback and being the new shoe of the season, when it comes to footwear, these girls are more than confident that sneakers are here to stay. “The more the design trend is moving towards a comfortable, sustainable, innovative and functional axis, the more you realise that sneakers fit most of these characteristics,” believes Basma. And both girls say when it comes to footwear, sneakers are their first choice. Which means that you need to have a collection of sneakers, one sneaker in your collection is no longer enough. Believes Nour, “We act as a gallery in the way in which we look for artists to represent and curate their works on sneakers. Our customer is not just buying a sneaker that will be available at all times, they are purchasing limited edition works of art.” Priced at around Dh1,745, it is certainly more affordable than art but is about a special shoe you wear to make you feel grand — we’re reasonably sure that if Cinderella went to the ball today she would consider looking at the Nou Project. (For more information on the designs, check out thenouproject.com)
When I first joined Parsons, they made us take a sustainability pledge. From then on, I keep it in mind every time I design anything. We all have a responsibility to make sure that whatever practices we conduct are reflective of our ideologies. Basma Chidiac
We act as a gallery in the way in which we look for artists to represent and curate their works on sneakers. Our customer is not just buying a sneaker that will be available at all times, they are purchasing limited edition works of art. Nour Al Tamimi