The Keystone Design Union (KDU) is known for their innovative ideas and unique collaborations. Stationed in Brooklyn, New York founder David Gensler has extended his roots far beyond borough boundaries. I got the pleasure of checking out KDU’s latest project with RYZ, an Avante-Garde sneaker line, out of Portland, Oregon… by way of the world.
RYZ was founded in June of 2008, and is the off-spring of former Adidas America and Adidas Japan President, Rob Langstaff. Langstaff along with Creative Director, Todd Alan Breland, have successfully transformed the traditional slip-on sneaker into a visual artist’s playground. RYZ sneakers start out as a comfortable, flexible shell and are transformed to walking art. The essentially bare surfaces immediately become a canvas designed exclusively for artists to self express and translate their illustrations into fashion statements.
Aerosyn Lex ‘Ascender’
The World Paradigm Collection is the largest global collaboration featuring 21 sneakers of individual illustrations from 21 unique artists from around the world. Artists, designers, and illustrators from Argentina, Germany, England, Australia, Indonesia, China, Norway, Guatemala, Poland, and the United States were commissioned to stimulate the sole.
Creative Director, Todd Alan Breland, is known as one of the best visual artists out of the East Coast. He’s passionate and dedicated to RYZ. Over a year ago he relocated from his “beloved spot in Brooklyn” to Portland, to revamp RYZ. “I think we’ve cornered a niche in the marketplace for this. You’ve got all the ‘customize your shoes’ programs out there but they are lame. With RYZ, ART IS the shoe,” Breland stated.
As the designers are naturally very unique, each shoe has a rare aesthetic, which captures the inspiration and fluidity of the individual designer. The diversity of this project can be seen from the colorful Melted Bubblegum, by Magomed Dovjenko (Germany), Woozy, by Justin Maller (Australia), to Ascender, designed with the calligraphic penmanship of Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic (United States).
P.J. Richardson ‘Ghostriders’
The beauty of The World Paradigm Collection is the designer’s stories, which is an essential piece of the collection. “I feel that its super important to hear what the artist had to say about how and why they created the piece they did. I think the story creates an immediate emotion or reaction to the product. There’s something more to it than just a mass produced object,” says Breland.
Currently, RYZ is available only online at www.RYZ.com. Sneaker heads and artists from all over the globe have immediately latched on to the World Paradigm Collection. With all sneakers, just $59.99, it is easy to start a collection of style and comfort. In addition to the basic slip on RYZ also have 4 new models, a women’s line, and t-shirts for both men and women. The World Paradigm Collection and the artist’s stories are available online.
Shadow Chen ‘Wasp”
