SOMEWHERE® and New Balance’s Summer White Party Was the Place to Be for D.C.’s Footwear and Art Community
Photography by Glen Gordon Jr.
Last month, New Balance presented its newest silhouette in collaboration with the Navy Yard-based streetwear boutique SOMEWHERE®, calling on the D.C. sneaker community and art world to celebrate the early release of the New Balance 1954R ahead of its global debut.
NUNAR's Editor-in-Chief Damon J. Barnes and Executive Editor Darius Barnes joined a full house of D.C. scenesters for a special all-white affair at the Silver Social in Navy Yard, a block away from SOMEWHERE's flagship store and cafe — including sneaker scene mainstays SOMEWHERE co-founder Dom Adams and super collector Abdul Fouzi, and art stars like Brian Bailey Jr. and art advisor Chela Mitchell.
The 1954R was exclusively available in SOMEWHERE's shop for a week ahead of the global drop on July 17. The model draws on the city's love of grey New Balance sneakers, combining design elements from the 2002R and 1906R heritage silhouettes.
The collaboration is another example of major footwear companies tapping DMV-based collaborators and respected creatives in the sneaker space to unveil new models or co-design new shoes. Earlier this year, Baltimore's Carpet Company and Salomon Sportstyle unveiled their co-designed XT Whisper Void sneaker.
Few sneaker brands are as deeply rooted in D.C. and Baltimore sneaker culture as New Balance. Once the brand's now-iconic 990 silhouette took over D.C.'s street culture in the 1980s, it began a lineage of designs and collaborations dedicated to the region. When New Balance released the "Baltimore vs. DC" pack in April, New Balance Associate Product Manager Myles Williams told The Baltimore Sun, "We wanted to take a step back and pay homage to where the trendsetters really started it." D.C. trendsetters in the music and art scenes made the New Balance 990 a cult classic, and they continue to show up for new, coveted versions and collaborations.
SOMEWHERE's position as a hotspot for D.C.'s creative class allowed the shop's owners to reach a who's-who of creatives and placemakers for the launch of the 1954R. Author Tony Lewis Jr., artist-designer Lauren Bessette, Spice Suite founder Angel Gregorio, Grounded co-founder Danuelle Doswell, artist Shelton Hawkins, Creative Theory co-founder Tamon George, Grammy-nominated musician Kokayi, creative director Quincy Jones, artist Sara Diani, rapper Phil Ade and a host of others were among the attendees who wore New Balance sneakers for the all-white party — the dress code for entry.
The DMV's deep-rooted streetwear and underground subcultures across sneakers, music, skate and art make the region a natural fit for legacy brands looking to align with local legends, activate authentic spaces and pay homage to the communities who've long supported them. Given how frequently sneaker brands like New Balance are turning to outside collaborators for launches, more DMV-rooted collaborations and footwear experiences seem likely on the horizon.
