A year ago we got the chance to speak with Titi Finlay, the Social Media Manager for Laced UK, artist and content creator who was taking the sneaker scene by storm through her advocacy for more inclusivity in the sneaker industry. Between her bold quote posts like "Make Sneakers Gender Neutral" or "Sneakerhead is defined by passion, not gender." and her incredible sneaker paintings and fit pics, there has been lots to talk about and now with the recent partnership with Nike, we had to catch up again. Check out the conversation below to hear about how everything came together, how she feels about the current state of inclusivity in sneakers and what she's looking forward to, this year and beyond.
Getting the Nike Call
"It was so surreal! I actually cried after I got off the phone with them because they wanted to bring in my art and my creative side rather than just the message I was pushing in the community.
My art and paintings and my print making and all the stuff like illustrations has all been something that I’ve always wanted to make my main career but never felt like I could do that. For Nike to recognize that and give me the platform and the tools to actually execute it was just so amazing."
Titi On Imposter Syndrome
"My imposter syndrome has been at an all-time high this year. I think just because I’m moving into a much higher role in my work and also being seen by more people on social. It’s almost like the more success you have ,the more you feel like you have to lose." (Listen further below)
As it turns out, before the partnership, Titi has been helping the brands roll out more inclusive products and launches.
"I personally had a few calls with the Nike design teams where the had me and a couple of other women actually feed in on the products coming out for next year.
It's super empowering for all of us to know that we’re being heard now. Obviously things don’t happen overnight with brands."
With all the excitement, comes over-indulgence. Listen to how Titi is approaching sneaker madness today.
Would you ever NFT your work?
"I thought about this a lot. I'm obsessed with learning about it but I still find it baffling. Some of the stuff is so terrible.
I feel like I could make a lot of money if I did go into it but I think there’s also the whole conversation around the sustainability and energy usage of NFT's.
There are some really cool concepts coming out so I’m definitely not opposed to it but I’m also still a bit sceptical. I don’t like do crypto right now but I'm excited to see where the space goes."
So what's next?
Keep an eye out for more of Titi's projects with Nike coming out in April and hopefully some gallery or exhibition events coming soon! ...oh and potentially a world tour ?!?!
Make sure to follow Titi on Instagram for news on her upcoming drops, events and all the best sneaker content and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more out there.