Jordan in Paris defined the concept of cultures

In cities such as Paris, where traditions and identity are fragmented according to the ethnic groups that settle in the different urban areas, delving into the cultural mosaic that makes them up is stimulating, and helps to understand how individual places can become symbols of belonging, homologation and identification. In the 18th arrondissment of Paris, known as Barbès, for years one of these symbols was the Tati Barbès store, considered for decades the hub of Parisian streetwear and founded in 1948 by Jules Ouaki, a young Tunisian immigrant - an ethnic group among the most present in the area. After its closure in 2020, the neighbourhood lost a landmark, before the arrival of District 23, a programme of events conceived by Jordan Brand and based in the former warehouse, transformed into the home of the brand's community.

Following an approach that has often distinguished its projects, Jordan revisited the new space, serving the community just as it has done in previous decades. On the eve of an event that is setting its sights on Paris, it was essential to tell what the city represents to the minorities that inhabit it, delving into traditions through world icons such as Michael Jordan, capable of uniting through his aura and the brand's style. In Barbès, artist Youssouf Fofana therefore created a space in which all this could be brought to life, starting with the exhibition Diaspora Renaissance, curated in collaboration with Easy Otabor of Chicago's Anthony Gallery and featuring 23 contemporary artists. For six weeks, between exhibitions, workshops and a Parisian-style café, Jordan tackled the concept of culture, starting with the pillars on which it is founded, style, community and the legacy of the figures who continue to define its contours, from athletes to creatives. 

Jordan Brand always could inspire generations, first through the exploits of MJ, then through campaigns and projects. In a neighbourhood where people had always had to earn what they had through talent and challenge before the Olympic Games began, ‘The One’ was staged, a tournament in which 20 male and female basketball players competed in 1vs1, with the chance to join the Jordan Brand family as ambassadors. Unleashing the greatness within each of us is one of the brand's missions, as is inspiring the next generation to rise up and take their place. And so on a world stage, after qualifiers were staged in Shanghai, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and many other cities around the world, the men's and women's winner was declared at a tournament that took the form of a party, featuring dance and music performers such as Rema and Fat Joe. Some of the figures who have defined the culture were present in the playground, among them NBA stars Chris Paul and Zion Williamson, but also Oscar winner Spike Lee, a long-time friend of Michael Jordan, who in an interview with nss sports talked about his relationship with the brand and the current athletes on whom he would like to make a film. 

Jordan has gathered its entire community in Paris, coming from all over the world, to see the new collections up close - and try them out in a special training session as in the case of the Air Jordan XXXIX - and to feel the energy of what the brand calls (and so does Spike Lee himself) the Jordan Family.

The tournament, inspired by MJ's backyard challenges with his brother Larry, is an image of Michael's relentless pursuit of victory, an obsession shared also by Nike, which wanted to dedicate its monumental work in the heart of Paris to his meticulous quest for innovation. On the façade of the Centre Pompidou, the Swoosh has in fact set up the world's largest LED wall, an anticipation of the ‘Art of Victory’ exhibition (open until 11 August) set up inside the Parisian museum to narrate the A.I.R.: Athlete Imagined Revolution project. If the Centre Pompidou had inspired Tinker Hatfield in the realisation of the first AirMax, inside the museum the brand exhibits prototypes fruit of the imagination of 13 athletes, invited by Nike to redefine together the creative process, overcoming the limits of human performance starting from their own style and physical and technical characteristics. 

Los Angeles‘ 14-year-old Tatianna Griffin and Paris’ 17-year-old Steve Bah not only won ‘The One’ final in Paris, but embodied Jordan's style, showing that idea of going beyond one's limits, above a bar of greatness that for all athletes has the name of Michael Jordan. The sum of artistic involvement, inclusion, sharing and energy gave Paris a moment in which the concept of community took on more defined boundaries, in which the spirit of belonging, to a district or to the values of a brand, are what can make us jump higher, and then even higher.