Dex Robinson on his HBCU-inspired Nike Air Force 1 collaboration

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When I meet Dex Robinson, celebrity stylist and designer, he is at his alma mater, Virginia Union University, amid homecoming. He’s in Richmond to host a few events, but also to unveil his latest achievement: a Nike Air Force 1 collaboration. The design is the result of one of his biggest fixations: he’s been a sneakerhead for years. Robinson tells me that Nike silhouettes have been crucial to him for years. According to him, his obsession with sneakers and tight clothing is innate rather than forced.

“I was born this way,” Robinson said when I asked him about making images. He doesn’t feel like you can learn to be stylish and well-coordinated. This is a hot take that seems ripe for debate on social media. He goes on to explain that his sense of style is a bit of a compass for him. His fascination with clothes, combined with his perseverance, has pushed him to act out his dreams out loud; he is a versatile man who excels in whatever he sets his mind to. It also allowed him to become an entrepreneur alongside a client he regularly works with, NFL player Tyrod Taylor. The duo co-founded Diallo, a vibrant sportswear-focused line.

Robinson is also a key stylist who is part of the ensemble of individuals at the forefront of newsworthy tunnel outfits. Taylor, Jalen hurtsand Jaylen Brown have each been able to become the flyest version of themselves thanks to the abilities of their stylist. Under his leadership, these athletes have become fixtures in the global fashion industry.

But most notably, it led to a chapter on sneaker design. What he ended up with was a design that was later approved by his school, an institution crucial to his creative journey. Having previously been part of Nike’s acclaimed Yardrunners debut class, this opportunity fell into his lap. VUU was a major inspiration for Robinson when he was working on the shoe design: the school’s mascot, the Black Panther, was heavily inspired by the black pony hair that covers the Air Force 1. There are also other special touches; he says he added a nod to the VUU garden. The final product is one of Nike’s most experimental designs to date.

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Born just outside Philadelphia, Robinson grew up in Virginia most of his life. That’s why this unveiling is such a special moment. His fixation with sneakers, his membership in the Kappa Alpha Psi association and meeting Arinze Emeagwali, a key figure who co-founded Nike’s Yardrunners campaign, all played a role in creating his design. Although he has a strong background in visual merchandising, the stylist’s skill goes beyond just having an eye for clothes and shoes. It is a talent that stays with you. You could even say that all of his attributes, combined with his HBCU education, are a formula for unparalleled success.

The legendary shoe will be released online during the holidays. Before we end our video call, it is noticeable that Robinson is excited to be back at VUU. He and Taylor were scheduled to host a fashion show at VUU’s “Yard Fest.” Robinson also organized a kickback to further help the students while he was in town. He even said he urged Nike to involve current students in the shoe campaign for representation issues. Each of these elements speaks to his commitment to paying it forward and using his platform to elevate others.

Below, we spoke with Dex Robinson about his upcoming Nike Air Force 1 sneaker, his HBCU experience, creating graphics and more.

Is this a sense of coming full circle for you since you attended Virginia Union University many moons ago?

Absolute. What makes it even a step further is that I’m from the city, I went to school. Where many people are not from the city, I went to school. So it’s like I’m coming back. It’s coming home like your traditional homecoming for your school, but it’s coming home like I come home. You know what I mean? And so I think it’s crazy to bring Nike to town, especially throwing or catching a ball.

With such an iconic brand like Nike, it’s huge for me. I don’t know if it has sunk in yet, but it is happening now. They are preparing for this fashion show. The Nike boxes are coming in. So it’s a very intense moment to now be in the same buildings that I was in when I didn’t know what I was going to do, just in terms of career and stuff. It’s really cool.

What can you tell me about your time at university?

I studied mass communication and media arts. I was very active at my university, (I) served as a campus leader at large, (and) as an orientation leader. I was in SGA at one point, (on the) track team and an RA. I also joined the largest fellowship in the world, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. I was the president of my chapter. At one point I was the only member at my school. And then I brought the chapter back.

When I was here, I was very active on campus. It’s crazy because I was the RA on the football team, so those were my first clients considering when it’s time to dress them. I started those assignments at school.

Do you have a history with shoes and sneakers?

History is an understatement. Sneakers have definitely been my life. There have been times when my shoes took over my floor. That’s definitely been a way I’ve expressed myself. I mean, I was also from Virginia when NERD was around and then you have the Yeezy shoes, they were (made by) people who were a reference point for me.

NERD has ties to the skateboarding community, and so Nike SBs and Blazers and Dunks – those were the things I wore in college when I really started expressing myself through my shoes and just having access to those things.

As a kid going to school, I literally get two pairs of shoes. There is a white pair of Air Force 1s and a black pair. Once Christmas comes, you might get something nicer. And so it’s wild to be a designer of such an iconic silhouette like an Air Force 1. And then again, I really express myself in a way through sneakers and I’m a lover of that.

What was the design process like for you while working on your Nike Air Force 1?

A little over a year ago I started designing my shoe. I had two different concepts presented to me, which was a generic HBCU shoe because my school is not a Nike school. So basically we had to explore a world where if my school wouldn’t approve us to design, I would just have to do it based on my overall HBCU experience. And so I did. I thought of ways I could tap into all the HBCUs and the shared experiences we all have.

I think when you come to an HBCU, especially the smaller ones, there’s this sense of getting out of the mud and just really finding your own way. And initially, what the people who were the founders of HBCUs, where they created these spaces for us to thrive, didn’t really exist. That was kind of what I ran into. So I was really going to lean into this melanin color. I wanted it to be brown.

Then I thought about things that I thought were beautiful, but aesthetically speaking, (but), you could tell it had been through something. So I thought about a worn, torn sofa, and I thought, I love the idea of that. And so I moved away from that, because those vintage leather sofas had wrinkles and things like that, but they’re still beautiful. And so I leaned into that, also just a monochromatic moment felt good to me.

(Next) The way I would express this shared experience in terms of the courtyard, I wanted the insole to be green like grass, so that the insole and lining represent the courtyard. I also wanted all colleges that are HBCUs to be printed in it. Long story short: my school approved it.

Making images is a skill that seems obvious to you. What is the origin of these skills?

People think it’s something you can learn or go to school for, and I think you can tell that to people who are trying really hard. My style is that I am very conscious about it, but it is just a feeling. I dress the way I feel, and again, it’s very innate and I don’t look for validation. I might ask someone something like this: does this look good? Just to do the opposite. So when they say it looks nice, I’m like, okay. Or what do you think of this shirt? They say I’m doing that one, pick the other one just because they picked it, but I don’t want to wear it right now.

I think many people in fashion or who are in fashion prefer to be the loudest in the room or be flashy as a means of getting attention. I guess I learned at some point that throwing a bunch of stuff isn’t necessarily always as impactful as we thought.