Come on, you know you want to wear what
Slick Woods is copping,” the model goads over the phone from her Brooklyn home. “My trainers are designed to look good with everything – why wouldn’t you buy a pair? And why stop at just one?” The face of Fenty, who made headlines after
she went into labour on Rihanna’s runway (her last memory before going into the hospital was of Rihanna spanking her with a whip), is talking about her first foray into design with
The Kooples.
Previous collaborators of the French brand –
Emily Ratajkowski, Irina Shayk and Stella Maxwell – have created handbags. However, Slick, who has always marched to the beat of her own drum, opted for trainers. She describes the sock-sneaker style bound in a chunky velcro strap and sportswear-influenced lace-up as “fire and versatile”, and says every element speaks to her and her sense of style: “We wanted to create a sneaker that embraces the idea of going fast!”
It turns out that creative direction came naturally to her. “I’ve been designing ever since I was dreaming in my sleep,” Woods, whose real name is Simone Marie Thompson, affirms. “I’ve always been a creative, a thinker. This is the first of many major collaborations and designing outlets.”
The Kooples – “[her] people” – travelled to New York to work with the new mother. “Since the shoes are so much of my personality, the setting needed to reflect that,” she explains. “They go hard – those are two words I’m synonymous with – and got my vision immediately.”
Motherhood – Saphir is now almost nine months old – has “cemented” her style. “It’s proved to me that being a mother doesn’t mean you have to be inhibited or restricted, it’s a blessing that lets you be more confident in being yourself.” As for what she has learned from her son? “More than I ever thought I could learn, and there is so much more to come.”
In true Slick style, she would like her legacy in the industry to be “the ripple that started the wave”, but her Kooples kicks are certainly a good starting point. “The collab is a call to action!” Woods enthuses. “What you see in my shoes is the result of the voice I’ve developed over the years. I wanted to create pieces that don’t constrict anyone or add to unnecessary labels.”
