Photography- Joshua Renfroe
Stylist- Donnell Baldwin
Models- Tevin and Ahmad Kanu
Tuskegee, Alabama native Joshua Renfroe’s move to New York city did not come uncalculated. His work clearly shows that he did not move to the Big Apple for the pursuit of fame but to contribute to the conversation. A graduate of Tuskegee University an Historically Black University, he is constantly leaning into his culture to help shape the narrative. We were happy to catch up with him and share one of his projects that struck a particular cord.
What would sneaker culture be without the influence and contribution of black culture? Do we talk about this enough?
Black culture consistently defines what’s cool both past and present. Sneaker culture is one of those dope sub-cultures that really grew its wings from the hip hop and sports movement. I mean Jordan’s impact alone is wild. I think it’s fair to say the two largest sportswear brands are Nike and Adidas. Some prefer one v. the other, some people like myself enjoy both. I thought it would be dope to play into this cultural phenomenon with an overarching theme of celebrating the power of black influence. We truly are culture, and nothing moves without us.
This was shot at the historic Rucker Park. I grew up watching And 1 streetball games on TV with my brother so this was a full circle moment for me.
