Kenya Barris, the creator of ABC’s hit series black-ish, makes his feature film directorial debut with You People, officially now streaming on Netflix. The buzzy comedy explores the trials of navigating a cross-cultural relationship in the 21st century and features a star-studded cast led by Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Duchovny, Nia Long and more. At its core, You People is a modern love story that unpacks the intricacies of blending families in an age of social polarization.
When hip-hop lover and sneakerhead Ezra Cohen (Hill) mistakes Amira Mohammed (London) as his rideshare driver, the two eventually hit it off over a mutual love for the iconic SW Nike Air Max 1/97 and soon begin building a relationship toward marriage. Their respective families — a Jewish family led by Louis-Dreyfus and Duchovny and a Black Muslim family led by Eddie Murphy and Nia Long — seemingly threaten their burgeoning romance as cultural and religious differences start to arise under the same roof.
Inspired by the film, Netflix has teamed up with sought-after sneaker designer Sean Wotherspoon, the creator behind the SW Nike Air Max 1/97, among other infamous collabs, and NYC-based jeweler Greg Yüna to design a set of custom his and hers rings for one very lucky couple. Born from a love of sneaker culture and streetwear, Wotherspoon and Yüna joined forces to create two bespoke bands inspired by textured shoelaces and iced-out aglets as a contemporary and bespoke take on fine jewelry. Considering both creatives have significantly influenced streetwear in their own right — dressing hip-hop and sports elite — the collaboration births an unconventional adornment, in this case, a fitting ‘I do’ to the Air Max 1/97.
Crafted from solid gold, the bands resemble the likeness of a dainty shoe string, featuring a woven shoelace motif that adds a pop of texture to the finish of the metal. The inside of the rings are adorned with multicolored enamel — a color story sneakerheads will immediately recognize as Wotherspoon’s signature retro-inspired corduroy model released on Air Max Day in 2018. The rings are a delicate departure from Yüna’s maximalist statement pieces. Instead, Yüna opts for round brilliant-cut white diamonds to decorate the ends of the woman’s band. This special keepsake will be gifted to a real-life Ezra and Amira, whose love story follows a similar trajectory, including the good, the bad and humorous memories leading up to matrimony.
You People is available to stream now on Netflix. Stay tuned on Hypebeast to see the reveal of his and hers Sean Wotherspoon x Greg Yüna bands. Check out the lookbook above for a sneak peek.