The minimal and stunning universe of JJJJound

Justin Saunders is an elusive and reserved figure that has played an important role in changing the fashion world and the world of Kanye West as much as Heron Preston and Virgil Abloh, but he's always done it quietly, without overdoing. 

Before Tumblr, before Pinterest, before the absolut dominance of the image on the word, there was the website JJJJound. It's 2006, and Saunders, a 35-year-old based in Montreal, Canada, starts posting on his webpage different images, that seem to have nothing in common, but that are aesthetically pleasing and in harmony, giving life to a very personal moodboard. Photographs without captions of old cars, tonal interiors, minimalist fashion and female bodies, all in the same perfect nuances. By 2017 the phrase JJJJound aesthetic reflects perfectly a certain type of minimal, elegant, clean taste. Rumor has it that Kanye often asks himself “Is that JJJJound approved?”, proving how much his opinion and his view matter. Even Saunders' lifestyle, the so-called 888approach, 8 hours sleep, 8 hours work and 8 hours leisure, has become a reference point. 

Over the course of the years JJJJound has turned into a real design studio based in Montreal with different collaborators. The studio has collaborated with the most important names in the industry of music and fashion, first and foremost Mr West. Saunders created a store on his website which sells minimal mugs, tote bags, socks and beanies, that are almost always sold-out. JJJJound's items are not flashy or showy, they're not the type of pieces fashion enthusiasts would camp out for, but they're beautiful, pleasant to look at and they answer to the question 'Is this something I would use in my life?'  

We are obsessed with the future as well and want to be involved in shaping it as best we can.

Saunders and JJJJound have become known to the great audience thanks to the collaboration with Vans. Three new colorways for the Old Skool, green, brown and grey, plus a bunch of hidden details that really make the difference, like cork footbeds, or the all-white siped outsole, and the customized white box with the Montreal studio's minimal logo. 

Vans has made many colorways of the Old Skool since its original release. We weren’t interested in creating new color combinations, we wanted to pay homage to the past because what I love about the Old Skool model is it ages well. We chose not to feature a JJJJound logo on the sneaker directly but instead attached a ’90s inspired sticker as a hangtag.

After the collaboration with Victory Sportswear and a series of signature hoodies with the JJJJound logo, that sold out immediately, Saunders has picked New Balance for a new partnership. The 990v3 sneaker is the coolest reiteration of the dad shoe. The sneaker plays on the perfect balance between its different hues, from brown and grey, to the purest white. On the JJJJound website the shoe is currently sold out, but there might be a restock on the horizon.