Bronx-born designer Kari Cruz is the co-founder of heritage athletic lifestyle label Trophy Room and also the head of UNDRCRWN, a design consulting firm, so forgive us if we don’t listen extra closely when she speaks about her favorite sneaker silhouettes.
Some of Cruz’s recent design highlights include a Puma and Trophy Room apparel and sneaker collaboration, providing an assist on an upcoming Puma and Fenty apparel capsule (and yes, Rihanna is as hands on and exacting as she says she is!), as well as a t-shirt for the WNBA‘s NY Liberty. Not one to rest much less rest on her laurels, she’s currently working on some merchandise for the Milwaukee Bucks.
When we asked “Cruzi” why she selected the Adidas Samba collaboration with Clot and Caroline Hu, she explained, “Delicate femininity gets its shine through the fashionable eyes of Chinese-born designer and finalist of the coveted LVMH Prize, Caroline Hu. Although there were five Sambas in this series, the blue fluffy tulle editions are my absolute favorites. So playful and fun. This is a collaboration I quickly tried to add to my collection and couldn’t! (Helpppp!!!)”
Honorable mention: Nike Book 1 PE x Fragment: Python; Nike Vomero: “Any mixed metallic upper” and Salomon X-ALP x MM6 Maison Margiela: Vanilla Ice
