The much-celebrated entertainment and lifestyle festival Rocking the Daisies has activated the festive season after a successful leg across different provinces.
Independent Media was part of this long-standing festival that happened in Cape Town and Johannesburg, which featured esteemed international acts such as JID, Stormzy, and BAS, and local favourites such as Focalistic, Kamo Mphela, PH, Sun EL Musician, DJ Lag, and Bongeziwe Mabandla among many others.
The music stars created show-stopping moments at this year’s festival while attendees brought colour and more excitement.
Converse collaborated with music and cultural experiential businesses such as ComUnity, Rainbow Social, Converse Ult X, Back to the City Festival, and, most recently, Rocking the Daisies this year.
The worldwide footwear brand demonstrates the spirit of #CreateNext by partnering and co-operating with projects and events that emphasise the brand’s goal to empower young creatives in Mzansi.
This year, the brand also highlighted #CreateNext through activation areas that included a skateboard park, hooping competitions, customisation stations, and graffiti walls, in the hopes of giving creatives a canvas to create through sport, fashion, and art while enjoying the festival’s sonic and scenic energy.
“This is a festival where creators go and collaborate from a music, art, and fashion perspective. We have people curating exceptional fashion looks with Converse, and it’s good to see how these different local creators find ways to collaborate with global brands. It’s great to see all the Chucks that were rocked as creatively as they were – awakening the KeDezemba spirit,” said Converse SA marketing manager Tebogo Motlhamme.
In order to provide insight and inspiration for the Proud to Be campaign and collection, the company also reached out to its large network of LGBTQIA+ workers and allies in May.
Big Freedia, a prominent representative of New Orleans Bounce music and a Grammy Award-winning LGBTQIA+ icon, has been the main attraction of this year's cast.
Three members of Converse’s All-Star community, the brand’s international network of up-and-coming creatives, participated in the campaign: singer/songwriter Eva Westphal, artist Yeliz Aifoglu, based in London, and multidisciplinary creative Xavier “Internet X” Means.
“This year’s pride collection is truly synonymous with the beliefs and values the queer community embodies. We are pleased with the product, as it celebrates those who are proud to be living life and expressing themselves on their own terms. We hope that these sneakers complement your style, however, you choose to celebrate it, and by showing your pride, you can also inspire others to do the same,” said Motlhamme.
The Star