UPDATE: Following reports that OVO Mark had given us our first look at an upcoming Drake x Nike Air Force 1 collaboration, it has come to Highsnobiety’s attention that the sneakers in question are, in fact, not a collab between Drizzy and the Swoosh. The below article has been updated to reflect that.
The internet lit up earlier this week when Mark Robinson, aka OVO Mark, a close friend of Drake’s, shared a shot of co-branded OVO x Nike Air Force 1. Rumors swirled that this was our first look at an upcoming Drake x Nike collab that would be part of the rapper’s “NOCTA” sublabel.
Turns out, that the sneakers in question are not part of Drake’s official partnership with Nike, but a pair of custom sneakers made for OVO Mark and Drake’s inner circle by Lorenzo Federici aka @lorenz.og. The color designer shared this information on LinkedIn and talked exclusively with Highsnobiety about making the sneakers for OVO Mark last year.
“The shoes that went viral are the AF1.OG *NIGHTOWL*, a colorway made exclusively for OVOmark,” Lorenzo explains. “I originally made 4 individual pairs, and two went to Mark. He wears his all the time and continues to show love.
The sneakers are hand-dyed purple and feature OG and OVO stitching on the heel underneath the Nike Air branding. “This colorway is loosely inspired by the Air Force 1 co.jp ‘Linen’,” continues Lorenzo. “The technique I use in most of my work is using a mixture of dyes to create different color hues and fades. I use NikeBYYou base shoes as the shoe is much more premium than a standard AF1, and it allows me to add slightly more detailing. I also use a laser machine to etch on my logo.”
The sneaker was believed to be part of Drake’s official Nike collab because rumors emerged earlier last year that there would be a co-branded Air Force 1 coming. So far, no concrete information exists outside of early mockups and vague release dates.
We can now say with certainty, however, that the pair worn by OVO Mark is not a Drake x Nike collaboration, and that there might be more unofficial OVO AF1s coming. “I am cooking up more heat for my friends out in Toronto as we speak, this collaboration wasn't a one-off and we should be seeing more .OG on their feet soon,” says Lorenzo.
As always, stay tuned for more information as we get it.
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