An Exclusive Look at Uzumaki Cepeda's Reebok "Sport the Unexpected" Campaign
The New York-based artist showcases a newly designed accessory she created.
Reebok‘s newest collaborator Uzumaki Cepeda is a Bronx native with a penchant for creating memorable art installations, painting, sculptures and more. The Dominican textile artist has become well known for utilizing bold color palettes and turning them into bodegas. She also constructs spaces for bodies of color and places black and brown women as the centerpiece of her work.
Cepeda is inspired by her rich heritage in the Dominican Republic and notes that her art is her way of recreating her childhood. Recently she was selected to create an untitled installation at Instagram’s Menlo Park headquarters. With her limitless creativity, she was recently asked to design a piece inspired by Reebok’s iconic Club C as a part of Reebok’s “Sport the Unexpected” campaign. She ultimately designed faux fur shoe tassels and faux fur earrings in bright blue that can be worn on the sneakers. In the campaign imagery above featuring an eccentric collage, Cepeda showcases her accessory alongside her handwriting.
The Club C-inspired collection will be available through a consumer sweepstakes where you’ll be able to “swipe up” to enter on the Reebok Classic’s Instagram Stories.
Keep reading below to learn more about the New York-based artist and the Reebok partnership. In the gallery below, take a look at an exclusive video where Cepeda shares details on her connection to the footwear brand.
What was your creative approach to the Reebok Club C collaboration?
I was so excited when Reebok approached me for this project because I have such fond memories of Reebok. My brothers were the coolest people to me growing up. They always wore Reebok, and I use to copy everything they did. They had Reebok, so I needed Reebok. They are definitely one of my biggest inspirations growing up. Their fashion was awesome, and they loved Reebok.
When I found out that the project was based around the Club C, that made me even more excited because it’s such a recognizable sneaker. Iconic and classic, the white Reebok Club C is a silhouette that can be paired with any outfit or accessory. It’s the perfect white sneaker.
In the same way you rock a Club C and put your own twist on it, I knew that I’d be able put my own creative twist and personality on this Club C-inspired collection. My particular collection features faux fur sneaker tassels and faux fur earrings. The tassels are a twist on the men’s shoe tassel, which you typically find on business shoes or loafers.
What’s your creative approach in designing spaces for bodies of color? How did you get into that?
My creative approach is creating installations of faux fur that represent a safe space. I got into that because my father was deported for being black, and I felt like I needed to mix in art and activism to share my story to those who relate to me.
