Tyler, the Creator was a paid Vans ambassador until they declined to create a custom shoe for him. Unsatisfied with that response, he reached out to Paul Mittleman, our Apparel Creative Director. Paul brought Tyler in, and Converse quickly sprang into action. What followed was one of the most hyped and profitable brand partnerships in Converse history.

I had the privilege of leading three product launches, but the first launch remains my favorite. The introduction video generated so much excitement among Tyler and Converse fans that it even caused Converse.com to crash.