Last week you will have noticed our social media was active thanks to an event that had all of London’s streetwear culture and creatives linking up in East London. This was of course the Converse One Star Hotel. We had been anticipating this event for a few months now but nothing prepared us for its glorious execution!
In the weeks leading up to the event, we had countless messages asking how could people access it and what would be taking place, it became increasingly difficult to keep a lid on it! For 3 days Converse opened up a hotel centred around its ‘One Star’ canvas, complete with themed rooms, workshops, raves, and of course a gift shop! So we thought it was only right that we give you the low down on our best bits on the event that was not to be missed!
Day 1 was press only, here we got the grand tour then we heared from the team behind this event as well as got an insight into what was releasing exclusively at the hotel. Fast forward to the night time event and it was an actual rager! With Siobhan Bell on the decks, pizza and alcohol in abundance we were ready for the moshpit! Whilst noisy, we bumped into a lot of familiar faces and when we were no longer able to speak, we communicated purely by DANCE OFF! We then went upstairs for a quick photo session with Skepta and A$AP Nast in the ‘Mid Century’ area.
Day 2 was definitely our day to explore each of the rooms in more detail. With a roster of activities from a T-Shirt workshop by Paria Farzaneh, a presentation by Mimi Wade and Tizzy T‘s Mahjong workshop, there was something for everyone. Day 2 also saw the release of the coveted ASAP NAST x Converse mustard courdroy One Star. This was rumoured to have sold out in 10minutes.
We attended No Filter talk hosted by Grace Ladojaand our all female panel line up which included stylist Anna Trevelyan,artist Abra, DJ Radi Dadi, designer Paria Farzaneh, and BBC Radio 1 Presenter Clara Amfo.
The No Filter Panel talked everything from believing in your craft, to being smart with social media and understanding your niche. Each speaker gave an insigh into their journey, lessons learnt, and opportunities gained and we went away from it with a clearer perspective and looking forward to the graft ahead.
Following that we went round to explore each of the rooms (and the bar)! We went from one room filled with retro games to a candy floss pink room (complete with actual candy floss!), to a dolls themed room paying homage to the Mademe x Converse One Star with none other than Nicole Sky on the decks playing bangers!
Every room was well thought out, down to the last detail, from hotel furniture and accessories, to ample space for dancing. Our favourites had to be the “Somewhere in Mid Century” room complete with 50s wood furnishings and a private bedroom area and also the intimate Games room!
Downstairs in the basement, Bossy Ldn kicked off yet another rager with performances from Princess Nokia(crowdsurf included) and eager One Star fans throwing shapes! We got word that the Hotel was over capacity with another 400 people at the door! Lord knows how Converse were able to manage this but a special well done to the ladies at XYZ specifically Sonia and Abuk for making sure we got in early and controlling the crowd.
The event also brought us Converse collaborations with Yung Lean and Pariah Farzaneh which were exclusive to the Hotel. From the lobby complete with a Converse vending machine, to the gift shop complete with household items, every aspect of this hotel was flawless, eye-catching and fun!
We could easily have paid for this experience which was nothing close to a one star rating! Perhaps Converse should move into the hospitality business. Our only regret was that it didn’t last longer. We can’t wait to see what other innovative events Converse comes up with because this will be talked about for some time. Its a 5 star rating from us! Well done to all involved and a big shout out to The Basement family and well done to Exposure London.
Original post can be found at www.certified-uk.com