In 2020, Bembury collaborated with New Balance. Titled 'Peace Be The Journey' the sneaker instantly made him a standalone figure in the scene. Inspired by Bembury’s love of hiking around L.A., the bright orange New Balance 2002Rs were an instant hit and ended up making a tonne of year-end best sneaker lists.
"Connecting with nature and the outdoors is central to Salehe Bembury’s identity,"
- Kevin Trotman, Product Manager of New Balance Collaborations
His designs often incorporate vivid color palettes, natural motifs, and intricate detailing, drawing inspiration from his love for nature and his fascination with global travel. Bembury's ability to seamlessly fuse contrasting elements, such as the urban and the organic, has made his creations truly distinctive. We truly see these vivid ideas come to life in the Salehe Bembury x Crocs collaboration.
Bembury's career reached new heights when he joined the iconic Italian luxury brand, Versace, as the Vice President of Sneakers and Men's Footwear. His tenure at Versace marked a turning point in his creative journey, enabling him to infuse his unique design philosophy into the brand's rich heritage.
“Salehe Bembury is the best sneaker designer in the world”
- Donatella Versace
Contrary to Donatella Versace’s praise, Salehe has been public about his desires to not be known as a sneaker guy or ‘The sneaker guy’ but rather a visionary artist.
Beyond his design prowess, Salehe Bembury is deeply committed to using his platform to drive positive change. He actively advocates for social and environmental issues, promoting diversity, sustainability, and inclusivity within the fashion industry. Bembury consistently speaks out against inequality and strives to create opportunities for underrepresented communities in design and fashion. He uses his social media platforms to educate and inspire others, urging the industry to embrace responsibility and accountability.
“The great equalizer is time. We all are on the same journey. I believe the destination of that journey is peace. That peace can represent different things to different people”
- Salehe Bembury
2023 Moncler collaboration
The new collection is clearly characterised by an outdoor-minded and streetwear inspiration focused on a nature-inspired palette with burnt oranges, sunset corals, moss greens and muted browns plucked fresh from the trail and clearly directed to a younger audience.
“This campaign is a dialogue about humanising luxury. My goal is to harmoniously balance Moncler DNA with the heritage of the outdoors. This collection embodies a juxtaposition of ethos rarely seen in either environment.”
- Salehe Bembury
A highlight from the collection is what seems to be a modified version of the Tailgrip sneaker. Palette-wise, it uses the matching nature inspired tones that translate through the entire collection ranging from browns, tans and oranges to pinks and greens. There’s also a Bembury-specific logo hit on the tongue and a large GORE-TEX embellishment on the midsole.
In a rapidly changing industry, Salehe Bembury stands as a reminder that true innovation comes from staying true to oneself, embracing cultural heritage, and pushing the boundaries of creativity.
Shop everything Salehe Bembury here at Story.
