Tyler, the Creator’s electrifying Camp Flog Gnaw festival, has returned to Los Angeles to celebrate its tenth anniversary in the West Coast’s cultural hub. A breeding ground for the new wave of talent in entertainment, sports, and fashion, the city of Angels and its enthralling energy is as much a part of Camp Flog Gnaw as the heavy-hitting headliners that light up its stages. LA’s influence even permeates the festival’s longtime collaborators—like official shoe partner Converse. The iconic footwear brand has harnessed the city’s creative energy over the past few decades to consistently set the bar with standout silhouettes. In the process, designs like the timeless Chuck Taylors have become a staple of the city’s street culture.
But the legacy shoe label doesn’t stop at setting fashion trends—it’s also a pioneering force in supporting the city’s burgeoning artists. Converse has long championed Tyler, the Creator as an innovator in the realms of style, culture, and music. Their creative partnership has spawned several cult favorites, from the coveted flower-power One Star and the mashup Gianno to the recent le FLEUR* take on the Chuck Taylors. Now, in honor of Tyler’s career milestone that ushers in Camp Flog Gnaw’s centennial, the brand is giving a co-sign to the next-gen of creative movers and shakers coming out of LA: skater and actress Briana King, content creator Cyril Palmer, and musician Yeek. Besides all having a connection to Converse’s tried-and-true classics, the trio share the distinction of their artistry being shaped and fueled by the city.
For King, LA has always been home. Born and raised between the Boyle Heights projects and the ritzier West Hills, the 30-year-old creative jokes she “got the ‘best’ of both worlds growing up in LA.” The multi-hyphenate found herself drawn to fashion at a young age, influenced by her mother, who worked in the industry. After working as a model in her teens, King found a second love: skateboarding. “I’ll never forget the first time pushing as fast as I possibly could down the street with a group of girls and just started crying tears of happiness. I had never experienced something so euphoric and empowering in my life,” she recalls.
Today, teaching boarding and hosting “Girl & Queer Skate Seshes” allow the actress to spread joy and foster community while doing what she loves—and looking fresh. Like many skaters, King is a Converse fan. “You can’t walk around LA without seeing [Chuck Taylors] on every type of human. Chucks are embedded in the soil of LA.” As for why she thinks the silhouette has maintained relevance across the decades? “It stayed a fixture because it was just done right the first time and there was nothing to fix.”
Fellow skater and content creator Palmer backs up her claim. “The Chuck Taylor is a classic Los Angeles staple,” he says. “Growing up, I used to skate in them all the time.” The West LA native has been immersed in the city’s skate scene since he was just a kid. Now 30, he’s witnessed firsthand how the scene and its locale have evolved over time. “Watching the culture and the style change throughout the years really makes me appreciate that Converse has stayed original and authentic to everyone that wears them.”
A skateboarder for more than half his life, Palmer’s effortless SoCal style has garnered him a sizable following on social media. His authenticity is undeniable, as his drip signals that he’s a genuine article of the fashion-forward cultural hub and the sport he loves. “Skateboarding is very true to itself,” he shares, “and me being a Sk8er, I’ve been very true to myself and my style.” Besides boarding, living in LA has been fruitful for his work as a content creator, easily connecting with collaborators and exploring new avenues for his artistry.
With its diversity of art forms and communities, LA is the place where anyone can find their calling. “I think people underestimate the fact that LA is continually developing as a creative hub. There is a pocket for every medium of creativity in different corners,” explains filmmaker and musician Yeek. The LA transplant has called the city home for over a decade, honing his crafts behind the camera and the mic. He notes the city’s influence over the rest of the world as a key part of its DNA, saying, “I would describe the vibe of LA as historical, cultural, and at ease.”
Yeek knows his history. Regarding Converse’s Chuck Taylor, he calls out its legacy as the basis for its present-day icon status. “Chucks used to be the standard hooping shoe in the NBA,” he sums up. “Historically it is a basketball, skateboarding, and personal style shoe all at once.” Being able to traverse boundaries via solid artistry is something Yeek’s career embodies. The Filipino American artist began making music at 15, undeterred by the lack of Asian representation in the spaces he hoped to enter. With family in LA, he dreamed of relocating—and once he did, he discovered opportunities he hadn’t thought possible before. “Moments like this CFG and Converse partnership remind me that I can one day do something on this level—anyone can, for that matter, as long as you are dedicated and focused.”
It’s stories like these that earn the city of Angels its other moniker: the City of Dreams. Despite their differing industries and histories, King, Palmer, and Yeek are united by how the city has shaped them into the dynamic trailblazers they are today. The newest crop of talent championed by Converse, the trio represents the heritage brand’s continued commitment to platforming and supporting the city’s future game changers. It’s like the Chuck Taylor: you can’t fix what isn’t broken. On Camp Flog Gnaw’s tenth anniversary, Converse honors its history as an early collaborator of Tyler, the Creator—while looking forward to a bright future propelled by LA’s new guard.
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