Above are the 3 videos I rendered for this project. Below is a summary of our product. The full PDF presentation can also be viewed here.
Summer 2023 Color & Shoe Line
Converse/Nike Inc. creates themes for fashion trends 18 months in advance. Without going into too much detail, the visual themes Converse decided for Spring/Summer 2023 were focused on surrealism, futurism and nostalgia. Our task, as a team of 5, was to create a proof of concept shoe line that connected these themes for Summer 2023. We were given the flexibility to connect a color line in anyway we wanted.
Dream Portal
Given our 7 week timeline, we quickly brainstormed our idea. Our team came together (virtually) and focused on creating one overarching theme. We ended up with Dream Portal. Dream Portal is the intersection of digital and real. A metaverse realm where our consumers navigate effortlessly between spaces and can express their authentic selves. They’re comfortable moving daily from their real lives into their timeless digital space. This digital realm is a portal for our consumers. Our mood board is slide 1 below. Given that our consumers were Gen-Z (17-23 years old), this digital focus aligned with Converse’s consumer and vision.
Color
After understanding our consumer and theme, we then tackled the color line of our shoes. The sub themes under Dream Portal we chose were Metamorphosis, Fluid, and Aura. Each would have it’s own color palette. You can see our final mood board and color palette above (slide 2 above) for each sub theme. Our final Collection with our colors, patterns and designs is summarized on slide 4 (collection).
Product & 3D Design Process
As the lead visual designer, I chose to also deliver social media video ads that Converse could post on their Instagram account–fitting their branding and style. My goal for these ads was 15 seconds in length and highlight the Dream Portal Collection through one of the shoes. The render should also loop to create a sense of continuity. This 3D scene needed to consist of themes of surrealism, futurism and nostalgia. I was given the 3D models (.fbx) for a couple Converse shoes, including the Chuck Taylor and Run Star Hike. Therefore, these were our final models to feature from our color line. Although my goal initially was one video, I actually ended up completing 3 renders (which what you see above).
Video 1 - Surrealism, highlights the Dream Portal specifically. The Chuck Taylor All Star is seemingly floating through a portal, where the digital meets physical. This scene consists of a warm tone in a vibrant tropical world. The sentiment is to explore this world of creativity. Reality blurs with dream.
Video 2 - Floating Balls. This is the Converse Chuck Taylor shoe again. This setting, which we call Floating Bubbles, allows us to get a good look at the colors of the shoe along with a close up of details.
Video 3 - Metamorphosis, the Run Star Hike is used here. The grassy area speaks to the Metamorphosis theme, like our shoe. The world around it evokes a feeling of safety. This speaks to the intersection of wellness, creativity, nature and sport. Our ability to connect to ourselves allows us to have more avenues of creativity.