To celebrate Latin Heritage Month this fall, Converse introduces Mi Gente, Mi Barrio – my people, my neighborhood – an annual initiative and collection meant to recognize and support la comunidad and its creative vibrancy and spirit.
The Mi Gente, Mi Barrio capsule collection, created by and for the community, features classic Converse styles like the Chuck 70 and Chuck Taylor All Star that take inspiration and pay homage to the bold, expressive graphic posters and advertisements that are the unmistakable hallmarks of the storefront windows that define bodegas, mercados and colmados. These spirited gathering places are woven economically, culturally, and spiritually into their communities and serve as an ideal canvas to tell the stories of Latinx culture.
A corresponding campaign features the collection worn by select LatinX Converse All Stars, agents of change, selected to represent the project based on the work they do in service to their community.
To realize the campaign and root the project as a reinvestment back into the community, Converse has partnered with Las Fotos Project, a nonprofit organization working to inspire young girls and gender expansive youth through mentorship and the power of photography, to authentically capture and celebrate the collection. Photographer and Las Fotos Project alum Thalia Gochez shot the campaign while serving as a mentor to Converse All Star, creator, and Las Fotos Project student Romina Estrada who apprenticed throughout the project.
Rounding out the initiative is an international series of exuberant murals, a great cultural tradition that inspires and forges connections. The murals will be painted by select Converse All Star artists in cities including Los Angeles; Mexico City; Santiago, Chile; and Lima, Peru.
Converse’s Mi Gente, Mi Barrio is not the only demonstration of the brand’s commitment to supporting youth movements for positive social change. Since 2020, Converse is proud to have committed $400,000 to support local community organizations in two key markets, the brand’s hometown of Boston and Los Angeles. Annual grants are dedicated to serving LatinX youth including Las Fotos Project, Homeboy Art Academy and Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory in Los Angeles, as well as Chica Project and ZUMIX in Boston. Funding is focused on mentorship and arts education to the game-changers of tomorrow, offering the creative tools they need to shape, evolve and re-invent the future, push the boundaries of culture.
The Las Fotos Project was founded in 2010 to elevate the voices of teenage girls and gender expansive youth from communities of color through photography and mentorship, inspiring progress and creativity. Working with Thalia and Romina as part of our All Stars community has enabled progress to be ignited and barriers to be broken. This partnership is part of Converse’s effort to steadily grow, engage and create a grassroots global community providing access to product, opportunities for mentorship and commissioning creatives to empower progress.
To further celebrate the moment, CONS team rider Louie Lopez is also marking Latin Heritage Month with a new edition of his signature skateboarding shoe, the Mi Gente Louie Lopez Pro.
The Converse Mi Gente, Mi Barrio collection and the Mi Gente Louie Lopez Pro are available on Converse.com now.
