Walkin’ on Warhols

MANILA, Philippines - So, what do Crispin Glover, David Bowie and Guy Pearce have in common? Well, they all portrayed Andy Warhol in films: Glover in Oliver Stone’s The Doors, Bowie in Julian Schnabel’s Basquiat, and Pearce in Factory Girl. Bowie is a god, Glover and Pearce are both great actors, but I believe only Warhol can do Warhol. It would be nice to step into the shoes of one of America’s greatest artists and be part of a universe of pop art, blonde wigs, dark glasses, electric blue soup can visions of the “diplomat on the chrome horse.” Hey, Converse allows you to do so with its latest collection.

The 2015 Converse All Star Andy Warhol collection was recently launched, along with the other latest models from the brand, in Whitespace Manila. 

According to Converse executives, “The partnership between two pop culture icons — Warhol and Chucks — celebrates creative self-expression and pays homage to the visionary artist. The new collection features bold Warhol imagery across an array of expressive Converse tees and footwear for men and women.”

We all know Warhol as an iconic visionary whose legacy continues to inspire rebels and artists everywhere. He creatively merged pop culture, film, music, screen-printing and performance, opening the door for millions of artists and performers. At one point, he even “managed and produced” the Velvet Underground. The Andy Warhol Foundation was instrumental in making this dream collaboration with Converse possible.  

Converse All Star design director Damion Silver explained that Andy Warhol famously created art inspired by American pop culture icons, and was even a pioneer in utilizing the Chuck Taylor All Star as a blank canvas for his work.

The iconic Campbell’s Soup Can design (tomato) in majestic red and white is there. There is also one in blue and off-white (vegetable). Those are just some of the designs on view at the venue. I heard that the other Andy Warhol Chucks feature advertisements and news clippings, as well as other monochrome musings from the great one.

From Black Sabbath to Andy Warhol, what a nifty move by Converse. Who the hell’s next? 

* * *

The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Andy Warhol — along with other Chuck models such as Lux, Floral Print, Striped Canvas, Americana, White Wash and Missoni — is available at Converse retail stores in leading malls nationwide. There are also Converse Cons stakeboarding and streetwear footwear and apparel, as well as Jack Purcell reinterpretations of classic silhouettes with modern craftsmanship.