Self-proclaimed ‘King of the Youth,’ stylist, creative consultant, model: Ian Connor is known by many names. He first emerged on the fashion scene by posting mashups of skate clothing on Tumblr and was noticed by A$AP Mob, the musical collective that counts A$AP Ferg and A$AP Rocky among its members. Connor then moved on to serve as a stylist for Wiz Khalifa and Kanye West. Connor eventually went viral for wearing Skechers to dinner with Kanye (which reportedly led to record sales of Skechers shoes that year) and constantly smoking during his appearance at the Yeezy Season 2 fashion show and then at the Yeezy Season 3 fashion show in Madison Square Garden. However, he has been a controversial figure ever since he emerged on the fashion scene. He has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women and even fought with Theophilius London and A$AP Bari over insults hurled at him about his rape allegations at the Off-White x VLONE pop up in the colette store in Paris in 2016. They were the first people to cut ties with him over the allegations. In return, Connor has vehemently denied all allegations, often through his Twitter account.
However, his products are impossible to separate from his violent and wild past. Twenty-one women and counting have come forward. I believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty, but the number 21 coming from women internationally does not seem coincidental. Given that most of the women are young, poor, and black, it seems like their word versus Connor’s is not given enough credibility, especially since they do not have concrete evidence like a rape kit. On Twitter, women accusing Connor of sexual assault have posted screenshots of Connor threatening violence against them for speaking out. The fashion industry’s supposed support of the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements means nothing if it cannot denounce the threats in its midst. Despite this, many fashion figures are reluctant to abandon the troubled but talented individual. At Virgil Abloh’s inaugural men’s fashion show for Louis Vuitton, Ian Connor was spotted sitting at the very end of the runway, away from the direct view of the cameras. Ian Connor’s current girlfriend, reality television star Tommie Lee, was seated next to him as well along with multiple monogrammed Louis Vuitton bags designed in collaboration with famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Front row at fashion week is typically reserved for A-list celebrities such as Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott, Bella Hadid, and Chadwick Boseman, but I am not sure Ian Connor qualifies. If Christine Blasey Ford gets the benefit of the doubt, why shouldn’t the 21 women who accuse Connor of rape? Unfortunately, this problem extends beyond Connor to photographers, designers, and even editors in the fashion scene who have consistently been called out as abusive or demeaning towards women yet get off with a free pass. Although Connor has not been arrested in relation to the charges, everyone deserves a detailed look at both sides of the story and Connor’s privileged status and social capital must be taken into consideration.
Ian Connor’s brand Revenge x Storm has popped up on a lot of people’s radar for looking like an edgier version of Vans. Each Revenge x Storm shoe retails for $200, which is a pretty steep price to pay for a pair of knockoff Vans Old Skool with a lightning bolt emblazoned on the sides. Vans Old Skool are usually sold for $60. There is also an explicit slogan on the heel: ‘Off The Shits,’ a clear homage to ‘Off The Wall’ from Vans. The Revenge x Storm come in several different colorways such as red, yellow, green, blue, black, plaid, and some of these colors with flames. The shoes are either equipped with Velcro or regular laces. These are only available online on Connor’s website and his traveling pop-up installation, which has been to Atlanta, Tokyo, London, and recently landed in LA in the summer. Ian Connor’s website is a throwback to the ’90s with flashing lightning and a rotating Revenge x Storm sneaker. He usually announces releases of new shoes through social media channels like Instagram and Twitter. Shipping costs a lot, which is ridiculous considering it takes a while for the shoes to come in and sometimes in bad condition. I would advise staying away from Ian Connor and his brand of overpriced, low-quality version of Vans. Among the many celebrities that like to wear his shoe, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, and Young Thug have been spotted with them on and Connor even boasted of making over half a million dollars in just 3 hours from selling his shoes back in December.
Ian Connor and hip hop rapper YG teamed up on a blood red silhouette called “The Boogie” with the Blood gang call ‘Suuwhoop’ inscribed on the heel, with only 400 pairs available in honor of YG’s 4hunnid brand. Ian Connor also teamed up with Hong Kong brand CLOT in spring 2017 on a BRICK CAMO collection built upon a jacket and T-shirt with a patchwork camouflage pattern. There are also rumors of a potential Revenge x Storm and Pacsun capsule collection consisting of apparel, but it remains to be seen whether the collection will see a proper release. Lately, Ian Connor has been teasing a new project tentatively called SICKO, which seems appropriate given his alleged propensity for violence against women. The fashion industry has come a long way in shifting the culture towards diversity and inclusion but it needs to work on how to address sexual assault and stop tolerating it. The silence is deafening.
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