RESPECT. Interview: Don C Talks New Foot Locker "All City" Line, Sky Deck Intarsia Sweater, Reveals Top 5 Rappers + More

Image Credit: All City By Don C – Foot Locker

This is the first series of premium streetwear collections, All-City by Just Don, inspired by basketball culture, luxury, and modern streetwear with a vintage aesthetic. All-City by Just Don Launches Exclusively at Online and In-store at Footlocker.

Sky Deck Intarsia Sweater

Oversized fit

Cotton

Clematis Blue and Parachute Purple

Retail $85

Foot Locker announced the launch of All City by Just Don – a lifestyle brand created with Don C rooted in basketball and sneaker culture that is inspired by the spirit of community. Don C has been a part of the cultural vanguard for decades as a music executive, fashion designer, sneaker collaborator and brand storyteller.

“I’m excited to partner with Foot Locker in the creation of All City. Their proactive commitment to lifting up the Black community is something I wanted to be a part of,” explained Don C. “With everything I’ve ever created, my inspiration has been from the Chicago neighborhoods I grew up in. As a designer, I want to lead the conversation and push the boundaries where my story intersects with fashion, travel and the real people who inspire me every day.”

All City by Just Don merges luxury fabrics and modern street-wear with a vintage aesthetic, with the first collection featuring hoodies, t-shirts, mesh shorts and matching track pants and jackets.

The All City by Just Don fall 2021 collection features apparel ranging from $55 to $150 USD. All pieces are available in sizes S through XXL both online and at select Foot Locker locations across the United States and Canada.

To mark the drop of the first collection, Don C and Foot Locker will host a series of creative summits in key markets across the US and Canada including Chicago, New York, Toronto and Los Angeles.

“Like Foot Locker, Don C is deeply committed to the young, diverse communities we serve,” said Bryon Milburn, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Foot Locker. “He is at the forefront of modern culture and fashion, and by lending his taste, care and craft to the All City by Just Don line at Foot Locker, we’re able to further connect to the next generation of streetwear enthusiasts.”

In June 2020, Foot Locker, Inc. announced its new Leading Education & Economic Development (LEED) initiative, a $200 million five-year commitment to support the Black community through economic development and education.

Image Credit: All City By Don C – Foot Locker

Image Credit: All City By Don C – Foot Locker

Image Credit: All City By Don C – Foot Locker

Photo Credit: Sky Deck Intarsia Sweater

Get into the interview below:

RESPECT: Thank you so much, Don, for doing this interview with Respect magazine, we greatly appreciate it. First off, I want to start off by asking you, how’s everything going on your end? Like, How’s life for you?

Don C: Life is good as long as we’re living is good, so I’ll never complain about life, you know? Yeah, I come from really humble beginnings. So the fact that I’m talking on the phone with somebody from Respect magazine means alot to me.

R: Awesome. All right, so why did you choose the name all city for the collaboration?

Don C: Well, the name of our city, but we couldn’t clear it legally.

R: Oh, wow.

Don C: Well, it was like. But I think all City actually came out to be better because it’s like all encompassing the messaging that I’m trying to push across, which is basically like all things for all people, everything. Everybody’s involved. Everybody’s included. I want all city to encompass, just like to just show people that everybody can participate in everything. So I just appreciate somebody with the resources like Foot Locker to come to the table to partner with me, to buy that messaging and really make it a big deal.

R: Awesome, and the line is inspired by basketball, culture, luxury and modern street-wear. What was the inspiration mainly behind starting a new line as well?

Don C: Because like what I was saying, like just including making everything inclusive, I just feel always real self-conscious about a lot of the products that I do because I take inspiration from luxury and I try to make things that are just really made to the best of my ability. But I don’t have the resources of like a major major machine that can do that at a price point to make it more accessible for the masses. So I just thought that and it’s not even like accessibility, trying to sell more. It’s just so accessibility where people have the option to see it and to be able to participate if they want to and their full participation. I want to show what this project is, not just in wearing the clothes like you could participate with a movement and just be supportive of it, or you could participate by working on it or marketing it, or just just going to an event, you know? And so all encompassing participation doesn’t mean everyone’s participation will be different, and I just want everybody to participate and be involved.

R: Got it. Which piece from the off city collection is your favorite,

Don C: The knit sweater from the first drop? So I’m assuming you’re talking about the first initial drop because the election keeps going, but the knit sweater because of something that for them to be able to do knits is something I’m always trying to incorporate in my collection. But knitwear is so specific and to get it done on the right way at the right price point is really difficult. So I was really appreciative of the production people that I work with to be able to knock out a quality knit sweater at an affordable. Well, I felt like it was a good price for what it is that people could participate because sweaters is something like when I’m a kid, I’m trying to start my streetwear brand. I can’t do a sweater out the gate to go on a T-shirt or something like that. So sweaters make it official because it’s like, don’t try this at home. But it’s also like it steps up the level of dressing like, I remember when, you know, back when I was coming up, like on The Cosby Show, Mr. Cosby would wear and they would be like, really light. And I was in the cool. Geez, I was in the iceberg. So just knitwear in general, I feel like it’s a way for people to elevate their dressing, but still be sporty. So that’s the that’s the item I love from the first drop the most.

R: Got it, a lot of your clothing, I see, like it’s inspired by basketball culture, and that’s that’s really cool because I played college basketball. So I just want to ask you, did you play basketball growing up or did you play any sports?

Don C: Oh, yeah. As an avid basketball player, but I wasn’t like a star athlete or anything like that. I didn’t apply myself to that level. But sports is a major component in my life. My dad, he instilled basketball in me, had a really, really young age. So I mean, it’s been like everything to me from when I was like three or four years old, from professional level to, I would say, mostly to college. It’s funny, like my dad wasn’t big in high school sports, so that’s like he didn’t push me to be the best as I could be in basketball. But yeah, he was big at the professional and college level, like, Oh wow, went watched every game. And my dad, he literally on VHS, he videotaped every single game Michael Jordan played for the Bulls. Wow. Used to go back and watch the tapes and steady him and stuff. So that’s how I like my basketball knowledge comes from my dad. And amongst other sports. But basketball was the one that really gravitated towards me. My dad, he’s an avid. He was just in all sports. And really? I say VHS tape, like filming the games, going back, watching them, like we were going to face the opponent, like we were serious about it at the career.

R: That’s awesome. All right. So one designer that you would love to work with before it’s all said and done like, is there any designer that like you’ve never worked with that you would love to collaborate with any clothing?

Don C: Oh, yeah. I like to collaborate, man, really a lot of people like, you know, because I just I’m a person like, I just love working on projects and working people. You know, I’m a very communicative person. So just the fact that I can work with people is encouraging. So, I mean, let me just think of somebody I’m a big, big fan of. So that’s maybe you’re asking from that perspective.

R: Are their any designers you would like to work with?

Don C: Go a lot. So I would love to work with him. I just learned the like. I’ve seen him work before. I just learned to, like, learn from him and he will follow. So my two, I really, really respect and like so but it really everybody does. I like to work with everybody because that means I’m able to continue to work. Mm hmm. So I found a lot of fulfillment in that, like coming up with a new idea from the moment it sparks in your brain or the moment you’re inspired by something to be able to muster that up and build that to the point where other people can consume it. That’s a really, really great feeling. So I love doing that with whoever.

R: Awesome. So I’m running. I have a few more like three more questions left for you. So I just want to get into this because we are hip hop magazine. So I feel like it wouldn’t be right for me not to ask you this. So do you have a top five rapper list?

Don C: I don’t have a Top-5 off the top. I mean, I’m old, so Big, Jay-Z Nas that’s three of them right there. And then, man, what’s my other top five? Man, I’m big on Wu-Tang. To me, like Raekwon and Ghost. Like twin emcees.

And then I see a lot of people with respect for Jadakiss in the past month, he’s always been top five-ish for me. I’m trying to see if I’m gonna give it to Jada. Number five, man. Yeah, man, I’m going to light up there like I know I’m just overlooking somebody that I really, really messed with hard, but I really messed with like Jay-Z, Nas and Biggie Hard. I love Tupac when he was living, but I just don’t feel like shit. Like when and when? It’s the conversation. Like emcees? Yeah, Tupac. Oh no. I don’t know why. Even though I really love Tupac, I just look at him like an emcee on the level of Jay-Z and Nas and Biggie. So, yeah, Raekwon and Ghost a lot. And I don’t know, man, I’m a God. I had to give it to Jay to kiss him because he’s still killing it.

R: Yeah, yeah, that’s not. That’s a pretty awesome list, though, so it’s all good. So your favorite hip-hop album currently named one?

Don C: Hey, currently what you mean like that came out in 2021?

R: Yeah. Like, what are you bumping? What are you bumping mostly like right now, man?

Don C: I’ll be listening to old stuff along, but I do like the new albums. Uh. Mm-hmm. Whereas. What is coming up, what I didn’t play like IBK, I listen to lately. I’m embarrassed to say Megan Thee Stallion what I was doing. I don’t know what I was doing listening to that. I’m sorry that music, but I mean, not like she not cold. She frets.

R: Yeah, she’s dope.

Don C: Oh yeah. Like Moneybagg Yo. Big Sean and hip boy. Oh man, I guess. Like, Yeah, that’s about like, I like Kid Cutie a lot. Oh yeah, Kid Cudi, for sure. Donda album is cold. Oh Man, you know, like, I’ll just be listening to like, sometimes I hear songs like and I just have like, Oh, you know, I’m into big, but this ain’t even hip hop per say, but it is kind of hip hop. We said, Oh yeah, we’re late on the wiz kid vibes. I like him a lot. Uh, yeah, that’s about it, man, I like old rap. I’m sorry.

R: So my last question for you is because I write for Respect magazine. I have to ask you, what does the word respect mean to you? Am I going to end it with with your answer? But what does the word respect mean to you and your definition? I think he went off.

Don C: R-e-s-p-e-c-t. Man, I feel like respect is like giving people the same treatment that you would want to be treated. I feel like that’s respect, just like treating people how you would man, man. Now you know what? I take that back. Treating people better than you would want to be treated. Yeah, because I’ve done things in the past that one time, like, I don’t mind if people talk shit about me or whatever, but that don’t mean I should do that to other people just because I don’t mind it to me. So I think even respecting somebody is treating somebody even better than you, because you might not particularly care if people treat you bad like me. I don’t care, but I still wouldn’t treat somebody else bad just because I don’t care if I’m being treated bad. So I they respect us treating people better than you would even want to be treated.

RESPECT: Wow, that was amazing answer. All right, so that’s the entire interview. Thank you so much, Don.

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