I WILL RISE Sneakers: (Re)Connect through the Art of Weaving
Get inspired by the wisdom of African-Kente-weaving and step into the future with fair, sustainable & vegan sneakers.
The “I WILL RISE” sneakers have a timeless design and combine wonderful, hand-woven cloth from Ghana and exceptional shoe-making skills from Portugal, connecting traditional craftsmanship from two continents. The comfortable and elegant sneakers complement modern streetwear wardrobes and can be used for any occasion. With this project, we set ourselves the mission to transform streetwear culture and overcome raised walls and borders in 2021.
sustainable footwear and apparel label. I WILL RISE was established to explore culture and start a conversation. Why? Because unlike many premium brands, we believe that sweatshops and streetwear credibility do not fit together. Therefore, we created a label that connects contemporary streetwear with traditional, hand-made textiles from Ghana, manufactured under fair and sustainable conditions.
The Origins of a Fair, Sustainable and Vegan Sneaker
The origin of the “I WILL RISE” sneakers lies in Kumasi, Ghana – my birthplace and the capital of the Ashanti-people. The Ashanti have a long tradition of hand weaving cloth strips of cotton, known as "Kente". In the early beginnings, when Kente-cloth has been created for the royal class only it was sometimes a combination of silk and cotton, but today most of the cloth consists of cotton only. As a vegan label we make sure that our cloth is 100% vegan (without silk).
Kente-cloth displays traditional African symbolism, often storing historical events within the different weaving motives. Initially worn as traditional dress by West-African royal families to show their pride, Kente is now worn by all kinds of people, especially during cultural festivities and celebrations, and is still regarded as a precious garment because of the sophisticated, hand-made-manufacturing process.
skilled artisans in Ghana and observed them doing their craft, and the rhythm of the weaving resonated with me. It then took me almost two decades to come back and re-connect with this moment. 2020 was a challenging year for all of us, but it was also full of contemplation and reflection. Despite all of the disruptions, 2020 also spoke to me and helped me find my path – and I WILL RISE was born.
After experiencing raised walls and closed borders last year, we see our sneaker-project as a chance to move closer to each other once again. This project is not just about connecting people – it is also about connecting the cultures and artisanship of two continents.
climate change and pollution slipped under the radar. At I WILL RISE, we create sustainable solutions by offering eco-friendly, long-lasting and fairly-produced products. To ensure this, we spent extensive time researching materials, visiting trade fairs and speaking to experts; all to create sneakers with the latest innovations in sustainability. Now we can proudly say: “Our sneakers are 100 % Vegan – PETA-Approved Vegan!”
independent weavers and start-ups in Ghana. Our aim is to support all sorts of Kente and hand-woven cloth that is manufactured by hand within Ghana.
is a social business that runs several textile-weaving projects in Ghana. Through them we commission work from Elisabeth Seguri, the head of a young female-startup in Northern Ghana as well as from Yaw Asare (Cape Coast) and individual weavers. Only together we can create outstanding textiles and ensures fair work- and high quality-standards. The stripe-based design is known as Batakari and is typical in the northern part of the country, while the geometric patterns containing triangles and rectangles is the well-known Kente-cloth typical for the Ashanti region.
manufacturer in Portugal is a family-run business that produces sneakers for premium brands under the highest quality standards. To create a fair pair of sneakers means to communicate with our partners often. So we can offer you a premium product.
Designing footwear from scratch takes time. We spent 18 months creating a premium quality, comfortable shoe with a classic shape, to act as a frame to explore designs with Kente-cloth. After using prototypes to make design adjustments, we have moved all the way to finalizing the development process with fully functional and comfortable samples.
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Fashion