Joshua Kissi is the creative director and photographer who picked up a camera at the age of seventeen. He’s the co-founder of Street Etiquette, known for their documentation of men’s style with a focus on black men. Along with his high school friend, Joshua evolved Street Etiquette into a creative agency that specializes in visual storytelling and has worked with brands like Apple, adidas, and GQ. He joins The Dropcast this week to talk about his ongoing mission of empowering creatives through his latest ventures including TONL.

As the man behind Nike’s Black History Month campaign, Joshua joins hosts Jian DeLeon and Noah Thomas in a moment of appreciation for the new Air Max 95 “De Lo Mío.” The quick hits continue with Aimé Leon Dore’s color-blocked New Balance 827s which will have Jian dressing up as both a Chinatown grandma and an ALD model. While these are the sneakers that will get people scrambling, Supreme’s Nike Air Force 1s will be as accessible as sneakers can get. The shoes will essentially be their version of the CDG Play Converses — relatively affordable sneakers where the supply meets demand (3:49). Joshua and Jian agree that this is a step in the right direction for Supreme who will soon be the new supplier of shoes for the classic NYC criminal.

Paris Fashion Week saw the debut of Virgil’s Arc’teryx collection along with new off white-colored Off-White Air Jordan 4s (6:52). This new Jordan Brand shoe follows Off-White’s recent iteration of the Air Jordan 5, both of which are proof that Virgil’s partnership with Nike isn’t ending anytime soon. In other news, many people don’t quite realize that Virgil’s brand is another name for crack (9:26). Speaking about layers of meaning, Balenciaga’s FW20 show brought a new end-of-the-world aesthetic to the runway by addressing climate change and rising sea levels (9:36). The standout piece was a water shoe with separate pockets for each toe, much like the Suicoke x Vibram FiveFingers collab from last month. In reaction to this, Noah posits that Balenciaga is the brand of this generation with its offering of the right blend of luxury and meme culture.

Last Friday, YEEZY Season 8’s surprise PFW presentation showcased polarizing but nonetheless Noah-verified shoes (10:55). Unfortunately, Tokyo Fashion Week which was next on the lineup has been hit with a precautionary coronavirus cancellation. While Milan Fashion Week reached an early conclusion due to an outbreak, fashion weeks in Shanghai, Beijing, and Seoul have all been either postponed or canceled (13:53). The cast notes the essential need to stay hygienic and be aware of unwarranted racism particularly in diverse regions like Jackson Heights where Joshua calls home.

With International Women’s Day coming up, the hosts give shout outs to the women in their lives including those at Highsnob (16:25). Their appreciation and best wishes are extended to Megan Thee Stallion who’s going through trouble with her music label 1501 Ent. after Roc Nation encouraged her to renegotiate her contract.

This episode’s Question of the Week (QOTW) asked “How do you grow to have a lucrative career as a photographer?” (18:11). The Dropcast listeners called in with a series of inquiries that asked Joshua to reflect back on his own career by making the important distinction between celebrity photographers and photographers who photograph celebrities and commenting on smiling with your eyes.

For Joshua, Street Etiquette was the playground for his ideas and vision. Now, he’s the force behind TONL, forging his own definition for technology as it relates to photography and fashion. He’s received stock photo inquiries from questionable requests for unattractive people to inclusive images of indigenous communities. On the topic of images, Joshua reacts to some fit pics pulled straight from his past featuring boat shoes, top knots, and skinny khakis (33:25).

With the “Mule of the Week” signaling the end of the episode, the hosts crown the winner as ION’s black slip-on loafers (40:57). In “What’d You Cop?” Joshua shares his latest purchase, an Études coat, and talks about being gifted the Nike Black History Month pack (41:57).

The next QOTW which will be posted on Highsnobiety’s Instagram so make sure to leave a voicemail on The Dropcast hotline at 833-HIGHSNOB (833-444-4766) for a chance to be featured in a future episode.

Relevant Links

Air Max 95 that pays homage to the Dominican Republic

New ALD New Balances

Supreme’s New Nike Air Force 1s Will Never Sell Out

Virgil Abloh Debuts New Off-White™ x Air Jordan 4

Demna Gvasalia Outdoes Himself With Freaky Balenciaga FW20 Water Toe Shoe

YEEZY Season 8 Footwear Is Kanye at His Experimental Best

Tokyo Fashion Week Canceled Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

Why Are so Many Teens on TikTok Obsessed With These Metabolism Drops?

Megan Thee Stallion Says Her Label Won’t Let Her Drop New Music