The new Converse Chuck Taylor All Star ‘70 ‘Souvenir Jacket’ Collection for Holiday 2015 was unveiled today. The sneakers are available in two premium incarnations of the classic high-top model and draw creative references from the commemorative jackets known as “Sukajyan” that originated in post-WWII Japan.
Departing U.S. servicemen and women commissioned local Japanese craftsmen to produce unique items of clothing that they could take home as a memento of their time in Asia. The jackets were typically created by modifying existing garments or fabricated from excess parachute silk, embellishing simple Western silhouettes with ornate and vibrant embroidery that symbolized Eastern cultures – such as tigers, dragons, flowers and trees. American iconography completed the look with eagles, military regalia, local maps and squadron names featuring regularly. The trend spread to many other places in the Far East where U.S. troops were stationed, but it was the disruptive youth subcultures of the ‘60s that adopted the jackets as a defiant statement against mainstream conformity.
The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star ‘70 “Souvenir Jacket” sneakers are offered in soft goat leather, as a seasonally relevant alternative to the lightweight silk and satin garments that inspired them. Bright crouching tigers adorn the black pair, while the dark blue is enhanced by an intertwined snake and skull pattern, with green and pink color pops. Both have contrasting satin linings while leather ankle patches, toecaps and rounded rope laces compliment the refined, rebellious look.
Converse First String is a limited-edition collection that celebrates craftsmanship, authenticity and collaboration at the highest level. The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star ‘70 “Souvenir Jacket” Collection will be available starting Friday, November 27, 2015 at Converse flagship stores in the US, on Converse.com, and select premium retailers worldwide. They will retail for a SRP of $150 USD.
