this collaboration between jt and cole haan was a natural fit from the beginning. cole haan was trying to penetrate and get their product in front of millennial consumers. jt being a mens destination for millennial fashion forward males it just made a lot of sense.
I chose to do a usa pack for obvious reasons. the summer olympics was happening and it was a perfect story to tell that both cole haan and jt consumers can relate to. the idea to go with three shoes was risky due to the minimusm per color but i thought it was necessary to fully tell the story and showcase cole haan as a lifestyle brand. each shoe from the zerogrand, pinch weekender, and grand pro was meant to take the guy from work to the weekend. the perfect sideline shoes for the olympics.
the design was kept very simple and wearable with subtle details that harks back to the athletic nature of the story it's based on. for the zerogrand i went with a one piece knit upper with fused detailing for the broguing. normally seen in athletic footwear but works seamlessly on the the shoe. a suede heel cap finishes off the wing tip. with the grand pro tennis the leather was upgraded and hits of neoprene and suede was added as juxtaposition between a classic and athletic sneaker. a pull tab, gold specks, and bars representing the host country of brazil adds sublte details to the olympics. with this project being a usa pack the material of choice was denim for the pinch weekender. what can be more american than denim. like the other two shoes the weekender has hits of red stitching and suede keeping it classy and still athletic looking. each shoe is finished off with gum outsole hits, a summer time favorite.
the capsule was sold exclusively at jackthreads and colehaan.com. the project went on to sell out and was the top selling shoe at colehaan.com.
