The Whalebone x K-Swiss Classic 66 Pop-Up at Art Basel
We’re always looking for an excuse to throw a party. Art Basel and our friend K-Swiss’ 55th birthday seemed like a pretty good reason. We decided to jump back in the VW bus and head down to the East Coast. Okay maybe we flew because the bus only goes 55 mph, but regardless, we ended up in the 305 with a lot of Hippie Issues, a few cases of Montauk Brew Co., and a whole lot of limited edition tennis shoes, hats, and jackets from our buddies at K-Swiss.
We popped up at SHOWFIELDS Miami for a weeklong activation in celebration of the release of the K-Swiss 55th Anniversary Sneaker and The Hippie Issue of Whalebone Magazine. Pretty good duo if you ask us.
A different artist stopped in each day to customize shoes and tote bags that were purchased. Each artist has their own unique style and brought their creativity to a blank (and wearable) canvas, making magic happen on shoes right there in the shop. It was pretty rad for customers to be able to watch their shoes become a masterpiece in minutes. Those who bought shoes walked away with a one-of-a-kind custom pair and a copy of The Hippie Issue. Not too shabby.
To spice things up a bit, Diageo was serving cocktails for a few happy hours at the pop-up. Sipping and shopping is the future of consumerism. For the duration of the week, guests popped in, watched the artists do their thing, enjoyed a cocktail or two, and got to see some pretty sweet, limited-edition merch.
A common answer to things over at Whalebone is to throw a party about it. So that’s exactly what we did. It always seems to work out, so the accountant can’t really say much in dispute anymore. On Thursday of Art Basel, Whalebone x K-Swiss threw the Classic 66 VIP Launch Event. And yes, it was as snazzy as it sounds. Taking the keys to SHOWFIELDS, we took over the place and put on a pretty damn good birthday party.
William Grand was spinning the tracks, Diageo cocktails were flowing, Miami folks were drinking Montauk Brew Co., Ty Williams was customizing K-Swiss shoes left and right (literally) and the tropical-esque hors d’oeuvres were a hit. Ty’s beachy artistic style was a crowd favorite and was a highlight of the event. So much so, there was a line to get shoes customized. Wonder how Ty’s hand is feeling.
Was a great time down in Miami. If it were up to us we would spend more time there, but someone has to water the plants at Bleecker and Matt can’t always be trusted. K-Swiss 55th Anniversary Collection merch was a huge hit and the artists blew everyone away with their creativity, style, and originality. We will be reliving that party in our heads for years to come. Or until next year at least.