Creativity is a gift that few truly possess and even fewer cultivate. In a world where crazy antics often times overshadow talents, Complex cover girl Alicia Keys has unlocked her passion for life and it shines in everything she does. From creating incredible uplifting music to her new partnership with Reebok, her abilities stand on their own without the need for any added chaos, without the need for any fluff. Her life's passions and experiences providing inspiration for her next creation. In this case, two new collections with Reebok Classics that include the Freestyle, Double Bubble, Princess and Classic sneakers. (Look for the Cargo Pack and Reptile Pack to hit stores on November 15th.) But enough of that — hit the jump to see what Alicia Keys herself had to say about her Reebok designs, along with some never-seen-before sketches from the process.
Designing my own line of Reeboks has been a great experience and a journey that started from my childhood. I always wore these particular Reeboks called 54.11's. They were called that because after tax, that's how much the shoes cost. I wore them all the time because the price was good and they had many different colors and styles that I could match with anything. Since then, it had been a dream of mine to design my own pair and now I've found another field to be creative in. I’m loving it!!
This line is designed for chic, cool women that have a bold flair and like to express all sides of themselves. Perfect for a tough and sexy girl! Some of the things that inspired me were my favorite colors, my street sensibility, New York City and the girly tomboy in me. ;-) My favorite design so far and a shoe I feel really represents this spirit is the “Black Studded Double Bubble.” I also love the green and peach camo shoe with grey suede that wraps around the top coming out for the holidays.
It's really gratifying to see your vision come to life. But it's even cooler to see other girls wearing something I designed. Friends of mine have seen women from Paris to NY and everywhere in between wearing these Reeboks… and THAT is a good feeling! I love putting on a pair of my own Reeboks, but I really appreciate that other women out there are enjoying it too. Now there's only more to come — more hot sneaks, more music — I couldn't be more excited! —ALICIA KEYS
