by Danny Mdluli -

LA GROUP ANNOUNCES LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH AUTHENTIC BRANDS GROUP FOR QUIKSILVER, BILLABONG, ROXY, RVCA AND A FULL PORTFOLIO OF WORLD FAMOUS SURF INSPIRED BRANDS 

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA , 27 NOVEMBER 2023: LA Group (or “the Company”) announced it has signed its first license agreement with Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), a global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform, to distribute men’s, women’s and kids apparel for the world’s leading portfolio of surf inspired lifestyle brands including Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, and VonZipper across South Africa and southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, and Zambia amongst others. Leveraging their expertise in brand management, distribution and retail, the LA Group takes on the operation of more than 32 freestanding retail stores in the region bearing the names of these globally renowned brands. 

Combining their operational expertise with a focus on brand building and marketing, LA Group will capture the active and youthful spirit of each brand to accelerate category growth and enhanced customer distribution across all wholesale channels in the region. Product categories will include sportswear, activewear, and swimwear for men, women and kids with future opportunities for expanded offerings in outdoor, surf and skate apparel. 

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“We are thrilled to partner with Authentic and work together to build upon the strong foundation of these amazing lifestyle brands. Quiksilver, Billabong, RVCA and Roxy have been at the forefront of the action sports and lifestyle industry for decades and we feel there is tremendous runway for growth,” said Riyadh Peer, Executive Director at LA Group. “LA Group are leaders in brand management, distribution and retail and we are strategically positioned to operate and grow these brands by offering great products while enhancing the consumer experience.” 

“For nearly three decades these iconic brands have resonated across consumer segments in this important market. We are proud to partner with LA Group on this storied brand portfolio which uniquely embody a surf inspired lifestyle,” said Henry Stupp, President EMEA and India, Authentic. “Igniting the brands in South Africa is a key focus for Authentic and we are confident that LA Group will strategically position them for growth.” 

The transaction is expected to close in Q1 2024. 

by Danny Mdluli -

CONVERSE CONTINUES TO CREATE NEXT AT ROCKING THE DAISIES 2023

It’s officially FESTIVAL o’clock and Converse is serving the perfect looks for the festivities.

Last weekend, Converse was elevating #CreateNext at the one of Mzansi’s most loved three-day festival, Rocking the Daisies, that started over two decades ago in the Western Cape and is now also exhibiting showstopping performances in Gauteng as well. This longstanding festival had 4 stages where international acts such as JID, Stormzy, BAS, and our local favourites such as Focalistic, Kamo Mphela, PH, Sun EL Musician, DJ Lag, and Bongeziwe Mabandla to name a few created showstopping moments at this years festival.

The global footwear brand, Converse firmly shows off the spirit of #CreateNext by partnering and collaborating with such projects and activities, that highlight the brands aim to empower young creatives in Mzansi.

Converse Expands its Footprint in South Africa with New Store at Menlyn Mall

This year, Converse joined forces with music and culture experiential brands such as ComUnity, Rainbow Social, Converse Ult X, Back to The City Festival and recently Rocking the Daisies.

For this second consecutive partnership in this festival, this year the brand highlighted #CreateNext through activation areas that had a skateboard park, hooping competitions, customization stations and graffiti walls – in hopes of giving the creatives a canvas to create through sport, fashion and art while enjoying the sonic and scenic energy at the festival.  

CONVERSE & AWAKE NY TAP INTO THE ONE STAR’S CULTURAL STATUS

“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.

What’s a festival without the right fit? Let’s do a quick vibe check.

Here are the festival looks that the Converse All Stars rocked with at the 2023 Rocking the Daisies festival that took place this past weekend at the Cloof Wine Estate in the Western Cape.

Converse continues to release many great silhouettes such as the Chuck Taylor All Star Cruise, Awake, the AS 1 PRO editions, the newly released Chuck 70 Geo Forma boot from Converse and A-COLD-WALL as well as the second collaborative limited-edition product capsule collection stemming from the partnership Converse has with Liverpool FC.

Connect with Converse South Africa on social media by following @converse.za and #CreateNext for all the updates.

by Danny Mdluli -

Converse Expands its Footprint in South Africa with New Store at Menlyn Mall

1 November 2023 – Converse, the iconic American sneaker brand, is excited to announce the grand opening of its latest retail location in South Africa, situated in the prestigious Menlyn Mall. The new Converse store at Menlyn Mall offers an immersive shopping experience for sneaker enthusiasts and fashion-forward individuals. With its prime location in one of Pretoria’s premier shopping destinations, customers can expect a vast selection of the latest Converse sneakers, apparel, and accessories.

The Menlyn Mall store reflects the unique Converse identity, blending the brand’s rich heritage with a modern, dynamic atmosphere. Visitors will find a broad range of Converse classics, as well as the latest seasonal collections, ensuring there’s something for every taste and style.

CONVERSE CELEBRATES WOMEN’S MONTH WITH THE NEW CHUCK TAYLOR ALL STAR (CTAS) CRUISE

The store is staffed with knowledgeable and passionate team members who are ready to assist customers in finding their perfect pair of Converse sneakers or stylish apparel. Whether you’re a dedicated Converse fan or new to the brand, the Menlyn Mall store promises to be a must-visit destination for all those who appreciate timeless style and self-expression.

Converse Menlyn Park

Trading hours

For accurate Store and Services trading hours, please contact the store.

Monday09:00 – 20:00
Tuesday09:00 – 20:00
Wednesday09:00 – 20:00
Thursday09:00 – 20:00
Friday09:00 – 21:00
Saturday09:00 – 21:00
Sunday09:00 – 18:00
Public Holiday09:00 – 18:00

Patron drip in Converse Swag As They Celebrate Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary at Back to The City

OLYMPIAN SKATEBOARDER ALEXIS SABLONE AND CONVERSE CO-CREATE THE AS-1 PRO

Follow @converse.za on all social media for more on how you can enjoy and join #CreateNext movement. 

by Danny Mdluli -

CONVERSE & AWAKE NY TAP INTO THE ONE STAR’S CULTURAL STATUS

Marrying a skate and music-inspired heritage with the diverse spirit of New York, Converse, and Awake NY have introduced their first collaborative collection.  This debut capsule from the Converse x Awake NY partnership celebrates the burgeoning skate and alternative music scene that blossomed in New York City in the early ‘90s, which coincided with Converse’s reintroduction of the 1974 All Star as the One Star.

Launched by Queens native Angelo Baque in 2012, the Awake NY reflects the diversity that defines New York City’s landscape and captures the spirit and sensibility of the five boroughs.  This silhouette was embraced by and embedded into the skate and alternative communities, which popularized apparel and sneakers salvaged from the ‘70s.

“The One Star always connects back to the early ‘90s punk and alternative artists I really admired, whether it be Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, or the Beastie Boys—music that typically you wouldn’t assume people where I’m from would listen to, or wear a pair of the One Star,” Baque says, reminiscing on his teenage years. “If you wore a pair of One Stars back then, you didn’t subscribe to the social norms.” This collaboration commemorates these memories.

Patron drip in Converse Swag As They Celebrate Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary at Back to The City

The Converse x Awake NY capsule includes three takes on the One Star Pro, executed in black, blue, and white sand colorways. The Awake NY’s script logo is embroidered on the latter side of the vintage suede upper, which is completed by co-branded sock liners and license plates. The One Star Pro silhouette is crafted for skateboarders and features exceptional board feel and impact cushioning thanks to a CONS traction rubber outsole and molded CX sockliner. The silhouette’s low profile adds tonal flexibility, while a rubber-backed suede upper offers durability.

OLYMPIAN SKATEBOARDER ALEXIS SABLONE AND CONVERSE CO-CREATE THE AS-1 PRO

The three-piece, functional apparel assortment includes a cotton rugby jersey shirt, featuring satin-stitch embroidery branding at the center chest and a water-based large back print, a two-toned fleece hoodie with a blue contrast hood, and a cotton jersey tee.

The Converse x Awake NY collection is now available from R 899,95 – R 1999,95 only from Converse Sandton City, Converse Gateway Theatre of Shopping, and Converse Menlyn Shopping Centre.

CONVERSE CELEBRATES WOMEN’S MONTH WITH THE NEW CHUCK TAYLOR ALL STAR (CTAS) CRUISE

Follow @converse.za on all social media for more on how you can enjoy and join #CreateNext movement.  

by Danny Mdluli -

OLYMPIAN SKATEBOARDER ALEXIS SABLONE AND CONVERSE CO-CREATE THE AS-1 PRO

Johannesburg 23 August 2023 – Alexis Sablone is already unlike any other skater in the park or creative in the studio. A true multi-hyphenate, Alexis is a professional skateboarder, Olympian, architect, sculptor, painter, producer, and among other signifiers, an endlessly curious creator. Now, she adds co-creating a signature shoe to her well-earned list of accomplishments, the Converse AS-1 Pro.

Over the last year, Alexis has worked with Converse to concept a new creation in a way that few other athletes can.  Seamlessly bridging the worlds of skate and design for years, Alexis holds a unique perspective. Not only is she one of the most highly regarded skaters in the sport – with unmatched, raw power on the board – she also understands the mechanics of design. This combined knowledge was central in conceptualizing a new sneaker that optimizes feel, ride, and responsiveness.

After obsessing the details alongside the Converse design team at every step of the process a new silhouette emerged. The AS-1 Pro takes aesthetic and technical inspiration from Converse basketball and court silhouettes of the 80s, while leveraging the brand’s innovative performance solutions to introduce an offering that shines through its detailing.

Truly a shoe for everybody, the AS-1 Pro is not crafted to conform to one type of wearer, but to both further performance and enhance streetstyle. Reflective of the intrepid, creative, and refined attitude of the skater, the silhouette – first offered in full grain leather – boasts pops of color and clean asymmetrical detailing allowing the Star Chevron logo to standout. A CONS monochrome logo is seen on the tongue, while the upper toe panel is reinforced with TPU pods to help minimize wear.

The AS-1 Pro is also Converse’s first performance skateboarding cupsole offering. Crafted with a newly engineered coring that enables increased impact cushioning and optimized board feel, the outsole also touts a visible herringbone pattern that was intricately refined to Alexis’ specifications in order to help optimize grip between the board and shoe. The silhouette features a CX foam sockliner for cushioning, and with adjustment to the height of the rubber on the laterals, the AS-1 Pro can handle the demands of all types of riders.

The AS-1 Pro marks a continued commitment to tapping Converse’s legacy and archive in sport as a catalyst for future creativity. As Converse builds the future, it will continue to provide a platform for the creative expression of those, like Alexis, who are reshaping culture and sport.

The AS-1 Pro was released globally in May 2023 and has since released additional colorways retailing from R 2 099.95- R2 499.95 and now available on Converse.com, All converse stores nationally, Archive and Baseline.

by Danny Mdluli -

CONVERSE CELEBRATES WOMEN’S MONTH WITH THE NEW CHUCK TAYLOR ALL STAR (CTAS) CRUISE

JOHANNESBURG, 4 AUGUST 2023: This month, as Mzansi celebrates all the phenomenal women of the country, Converse is introducing the Chuck Taylor All Star Cruise—an all-new silhouette that takes inspiration from the skateboard and boldly pushes style to create the next chapter of the Chuck Taylor legacy.

The Chuck Taylor All Star Cruise is designed to pay homage to the counterculture fashion scene that adopted the Chuck Taylor All Star as its own.  The CTAS Cruise features a lightweight, canvas and suede construction lined with skate-inspired elements, including a suede eye-row overlay and punched eyelets. A disrupted, elevated, and layered midsole adds a modern touch that distinguishes the Cruise from the classic Chuck Taylor while retaining the signature Converse style.

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Because comfort is key to the new silhouette, it has a foam midsole, OrthoLite cushioning and a lightweight EVA-injected outsole for the additional bounce effect.  The Cruise is debuting in three colorways, Pink Sage, Egret, and Black with each pair arriving with fat poly laces for that extra edge of style to compliment the latest trends.

The Chuck Taylor All Star Cruise is now available for only R 1 799.95 on Converse.com, All SA Converse stores , Studio 88, Side Step, Superbalist, Office London, Archive, Sportscene and Street Gym

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