Sole DXB– now in its 8th year running -is an annual arts, streetwear and lifestyle festival. This year the festival’s interest focused in on Jamaica and the island country’s rich arts scene. The event ran from 5-7 December in Dubai’s Design District (d3). Synthesising as an all encompassing experience of film screenings, music, fashion and a rare sneaker exhibition. Streetwear is perhaps one of the most important areas of intentional focus where the construction of the event is concerned. Thus curating a space where attendees have access to engage with exclusive drops, some developed by Wu-Tang Clan x Sole DXB merchandise as well as a customised adidas Originals capsule collection. Archive DNA attends to the sensibilities of die hard sneaker fans with their exhibition of some of the rarest sneakers on the planet (70 pairs and their accompanying stories). Some noteworthy sneakers and their stories include: a signed 1985 Michael Jordan Air Jordan, a pair of game-worn ‘Air Zoom Generation’ for LeBron James, and a once-off and exclusive ‘Air Max 90 SL Laser’ commissioned by Alexander McQueen for his private collection.
d3 Marketplace at Sole DXB 2019
South African creatives equally impress as a part of the event, with Xzavier Zulu and Celeste Arendse (Selfi) participating under the label Leaf Apparel. Leaf Apparel together with Tough love collaborated to create Toughleaf which lauched at Sole DXB. The staples were created exclusively for the event. Xzavier is himself a member of the Sartists, and a quote by the collective rings true in this locale as they tell Sole magazine in an interview: “Identity, representation and storytelling is incredibly important to who we are…”
d3 Marketplace at Sole DXB 2019
