Converse and Martine Ali celebrate a second collaboration with the return of the Chuck 70XXHI

The first Converse and Martine Ali collaboration must have been good, because they’re back for a second footwear launch. But the Chuck 70XXHI this time also comes with an apparel line.

Unveiling during London Fashion Week, the Brooklyn jewellery designer will appear alongside fellow creatives Rifke, Tigris, and Audrey Large at the ‘Converse at 180 Studios’ for the brand’s New Edge London event on 15-16 February.

The launch continues to be based on Converse’s legacy of celebrating and reinventing its classics, “taking inspiration from its archives to shape where it’ll go next”.

Inspired by the 2006 silhouette, “the pair leverage their position at the forefront of empowering bold style to drive limitless self-expression via Martine’s lens of future-forward design”, Converse says.

Utilising the Chuck 70 as its foundation, the silhouette reveals a lengthened, 14-inch upper that comes up to the knee. Ali’s personal style is reflected in the seven straps and buckles that run up the silhouette, “nodding to the exaggerated accessorising that once defined fashion in the 2000s”. An extra-long set of laces allow adjustments to the silhouette’s width, while a zipper along the back ensures they can be put on easily, the brand said.

The silhouette comes in a monochrome washed black denim upper with a corresponding Chuck patch, midsole, lace, and toecap. In addition, five press studs and four zig-zag stitched accents continue Ali’s “design essence of versatility, allowing customisation via add-on chains or jewellery from her signature line”.

The accompanying apparel — a jacket, skirt, hoodie and tee — also reflect’s Ali’s personal style and crafted with adaptable design. 

The jacket is inspired by welding attire and features snap-on mechanisms that transform a cropped jacket into a full-coverage one. Contrast stitching and a collapsible hood that folds into the collar adds more styling options for the piece. The skirt comprises two panels made of utility fabrics, allowing it to be worn either as a mini or maxi. Cargo-type pockets are there for functionality and zig-zag stitching enables accessory placement.

In addition, the Converse at 180 Studios interactive exhibit will showcase the brand’s “newest forms of expression and conceptualise varying takes on the future of style”. The event will also open to the public on 16 February. 

Following the initial London reveal, the Converse x Martine Ali collection will launch on 21 March on Converse.com and select global retailers.