TICKETS: $15 / Person
Include Admission & Complimentary White, Rose & Sparkling Wine from Mmmm…enjoy. Wine!
Curio Members: 2 Complimentary Tickets
The Event:
Sneaker heads rejoice! In this dynamic panel, we'll speak with Dave Jeff, streetwear pioneer and the founder of PHLI brand & the first Black-owned sneaker boutique in Chicago, as well as Yohance LaCour, founder of his own luxury sneaker brand and a 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner.
Taking place at the beautiful Emily Hotel, the evening will start on the ground floor in Burrows Hall with arrival photographs and a welcome glass of sparkling wine. The panel discussion moderated by The Curio’s Maggie Gillette will conclude with a Q&A. This will be followed by a post-reception at the lovely upstairs SELVA lounge, with more complimentary wines available - all from our long-time partner: Mmmm…Enjoy wines.
Discussion:
We will discuss how gym shoes went from a closet basic to a style essential with the rise of sneakers as a status symbol and its relation to the elevation of streetwear. Additionally, we'll talk about how Chicago has shaped global sneaker culture, from our sports teams to our street style, and what will come next for this stylish shoe.
Come ready with questions because we'll give the audience a chance to ask these tastemakers what they're curious about when it comes to sneakers.
More About Yohance Lacour:
Yohance Lacour is best known for using fine leathers to handcraft bespoke sneakers. He came of age in the 80s and 90s, obsessed with, but unable to afford the styles that today’s sneakerheads consider the holy grail.
In the late 2000s, he landed himself in prison… where he discovered leathercraft. Upon his release, he began merging that golden era aesthetic he grew up on, with exotic skins, and an unorthodox process, to create one-of-one artisanal luxury goods that speak to the Black experience.
His designs are now handcrafted in Portugal and sold online and in boutiques across the country. He continues to create leather art and prototype sneakers by hand at his Chicago studio. Lacour’s work has been acquired by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and appeared at Art Basel in 2022
In 2024, Yohance won a Pulitzer Prize:
“Mr. Lacour’s recollection of that period — and the story of his eventual incarceration on a drug conspiracy charge — became the subject of an 11-episode podcast, “You Didn’t See Nothin,” which on Monday won the Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting. - The New York Times
More About Dave Jeff:
Born and raised in Chicago, Dave Jeff is a cultural architect, a brand builder, a fashion designer host, influencer, and streetwear pioneer. Dave is a voice to many communities, and the founder of PHLI.
Founding Chicago's first Black-owned sneaker boutique led to multiple sneaker collaborations amongst three major footwear brands (Adidas, Nike & Puma). For over a decade PHLI has provided urban tastemakers with unique limited edition, private label apparel as well as rare and exclusive sneakers.
This has made Dave Jeff and the PHLI apparel line a part of Chicago’s cultural fabric expanding far past fashion and retail - evolving into a staple in community building and brand strategy consulting. He has collaborated with many inspiring partners including The Chicago Bulls, Hyde Park Summerfest, and a range of hip brands.
Dave’s feel for culture has extended past fashion and has grown to opening other lifestyle ventures such as restaurants and night clubs to assisting urban store chains with local market knowledge and hosting community events such as health fairs and youth forums.
A major accomplishment is being a partner in the HYDE PARK SUMMERFEST being responsible for its look and sound. PHLI is a lifestyle brand that is a backwards acronym that stands for I LOVE HYDE PARK and most importantly I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE.
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Past Event: Chicago Street Wear Panel w/ Designers Sheila Rashid & Corey WIlliams (Grevyi)
See photo galleries from past tastemaker talks & receptions including:
