Celebrate Street Culture At Project Chaiwala With Every Sip
These limited-edition nostalgic kicks by Waxfeller x Converse embrace the Emirate’s love for chai.
Often known as a destination for luxury and opulence, little to less was earlier known about the buzzing cultural street confluence that has now stirred up in the region. As elements from the past, experienced by 90’s kids in the Emirate, make its way back, we now notice a spin on the burgeoning scene in the region.
From skateboard enthusiasts to murals by local artists decorating the town, a hidden subculture seems to take over the city paving a way for both the new-age generation and millennials .
With the UAE being a high-fashion haven, limited-edition trainers have also crept their way into the local style scene making it a great way for people to voice their views or personalities thanks to this global trend of customization. As Dubai continues to transform at a rapid pace, we notice a juxtaposition between street culture and its constantly changing urban landscape.
Project Chawala being a home-grown brand, in late 2019 ventured into uncharted territory as the first Chai-hub to create a pair limited edition sneakers and explore the nuances of hip-hop indie culture in the region. With Karak chai moving past its traditional Styrofoam construct to inspire ice cream flavours, cakes and cold-brews, we decided to amp the notch in Project Chaiwala and pave a new segment in merchandising too. Designed by Dubai-based bespoke sneaker experts, Waxfeller, the concept was spearheaded by Dukkan Media and Converse, to design a Chai-culture inspired sneaker on the as an ode to the Emirati tradition and diversify Project Chaiwala as a lifestyle brand.
The High Tops from Converse are the most notable Converse shoe around, and it is hard to find someone who has never tried them at least once. With Waxfeller focussing on the sneaker, street and youth culture across the Middle East, there was no better collab that we could possibly think of.
The Waxfeller x Converse collaboration was produced in 100 units only, created with the intention to pay homage to the small, everyday things that everyone in the city loves: music, sports, and the ritual of gathering at the neighborhood chai spot. The shoe features hand painted chai drip, chai colored
gradient shoe laces, and a custom made Chaiwala embroidery patch which was hand embroidered with each shoe individually numbered, making the collection truly unique.
With athletic being fashionable now, we witnessed the craze of this limited-edition drop at Converse’s flagship store in Dubai Mall with a long line, a few hours before its release.
At Project Chaiwala, we’re constantly striving to stay creative and evolve with our customers using each opportunity to expand beyond a café, while garnering much attention for our ability to merge into many different worlds while curating our own identity.