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While Cole Haan isn’t new to collaborations, its latest with artist Sophia Chang marks a topical moment for both. Originally intended for a 2022 resort launch that faced delays from COVID-19’s supply chain issues, the duo’s collaboration is now launching in May during AAPI Heritage Month — and marked Chang’s first time creating a women’s collection.
“It was just a quite a shift for me to get this opportunity to work on something specific for women, and I’ve never done a heel ever — so that was new for me,” Chang exclusively shared with Footwear News. “I envisioned someone, this very urban woman who works at a desk, very high-profile, handles approvals all day. She’s not sitting in the chair all day, and she’s on the move.”
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Chang’s collaboration with Cole Haan revamps three of the brand’s signature pieces: its pointed-toe York pumps,lace-up Grandprø Topspin sneakers and a convertible backpack. All feature a cream, tropical yellow and deep orange palette, complemented with her modern linear star illustrations. The trio was envisioned by the artist as functioning from day to night, emphasizing multipurpose pieces with a pop of color.
“I usually don’t integrate too much color; I’m one of those, ‘I’m originally from New York and I tend to wear too much black,'” Chang says. “It was a bit of a challenge for me in the beginning to be like, ‘Okay, it’s resort, it’s color, how do we really integrate color?’ But after seeing the samples quite a few times, I’ve started to feel a lot better about it.”
The project marks a personal milestone for Chang, who views her collaboration with Haan as an example for Asian-Americans hoping to succeed in creative industries.
“I think in the journey of my career, I’ve really been able to show to the world and be an example and be like, ‘There’s other options out there for us, you can be, outspoken, you can be different, you can define your own successes and work towards that,” Chang says. “That’s a really important dialogue. I think me being able to work with Cole Han, a global brand, and to be able to occupy the space of storefronts and be able to have my work displayed, that’s what it really speaks to.”
As May also marks AAPI Heritage Month, Chang is also reflecting on the progress made for AAPI representation. Though she believes the lifestyle and footwear industries have come a long way, she also emphasizes that including minorities in projects year-round — not just during an editorial month like AAPI Heritage Month — is essential for more diverse representation.
“I think it would be great for brands to approach it from a perspective of, ‘We are a global company, we have a global platform. Who do we want to elevate?'” Chang says. “It’s like Valentine’s Day — we don’t have to celebrate our loved ones just because it’s Valentine’s Day; every day can be Valentine’s Day. We don’t necessarily need to open our feed and constantly be flooded with Asian faces just because it’s May.”
