Many people living outside of Ghana or even outside of Africa may not be aware of one of the most popular fashion houses to originate in the continent’s second-most populous country: “Free The Youths.” Here’s a rundown of the brand to help you understand the significance of its recent collaboration on the Jordan Unbannable Campaign.
Established in 2013 by a group of fashion-focused minds from Ghana Winfred Mensah, Johnathan Coffie, Kelly Foli, and Richard Ormano Free The Youths is split into two entities: an NGO named after their best-selling T-shirts, called Ghetto University, and the streetwear brand itself, Free The Youths. The NGO aims to help young people achieve their educational objectives by offering mentorship tied to their artistic goals and visions, while also providing a workspace with the information and technology they need to succeed. Some of the skill-training programs include music production, graphic design, photography, screen-printing, and interior design crucial tools for at-risk youth looking to enter the arts.
The streetwear line has become one of the biggest brands emerging from Africa, offering multiple collections for streetwear lovers worldwide. In a testament to its achievements, Free The Youths recently landed an ad with Jordan Brand as part of the Nike Air Jordan Unbannable Campaign. The ad delivers a visual and aural story showcasing the nature of the FTY brand: it follows young Ghanaian children fascinated with airplanes and features pieces from the brand, including a T-shirt and a truk-fit cap. The narration acknowledges the brand’s origins, starting with dreams captured in pictures and young Ghanaian kids’ passion for fashion. It also highlights the struggles they faced “the journey wasn’t easy, but we pressed on because we knew our dreams were valid” and reveals how the brand grew from the wild dreams of creative minds in Tema to a global phenomenon recognized in London and beyond. The ad underscores the brand’s mission to inspire young creatives and dreamers in Africa to explore their potential and break boundaries on the world stage.
The collaboration is a perfect match, given the shared ethos of Free The Youths and the Nike Air Jordan 1. Notably, the Air Jordan 1 was Michael Jordan’s first signature shoe with Nike, released in 1985. It was initially banned in NBA games for having too much red and black violating the league’s uniform policy at the time and each time Jordan wore them, he was fined $5,000. Rather than abandon the shoe, Nike embraced the controversy, covered the fines, and leveraged Jordan’s gold-medal fame from the 1984 Olympics and his NBA Rookie of the Year title to supercharge sales. The result was $70 million in revenue during the shoe’s first two months, cementing the Air Jordan 1 as one of the most iconic sneakers of all time.
Re-released multiple times over the years, the Air Jordan 1 has become a staple of streetwear culture, representing boundary-pushing creativity and freedom of expression just like Free The Youths. All credit for the campaign’s ad goes to the brand’s founders, whose stories anchor the visuals, as well as executive directors Elliot Hensford and Sharkkana, and executive producer Tsvetelina Tomova.
As part of the partnership between FTY and Jordan Brand, a mural unveiling will take place in Brixton today—further highlighting the global reach and impact of this Ghanaian-born streetwear powerhouse.
