Converse debuts its Converse (PRODUCT)^RED Fall/Holiday 2010 (Paint The Town) RED collection of Chuck Taylor All Star shoes done in collaboration with Parra, Giovanni Estevez, Aaron Martin and Cody Hudson. Continuing the Converse (PRODUCT)^RED goal of using art to change the world, each artist was asked to use their unique art and style to create a special shoe that with the sale of each shoe, 10% of the net wholesale price will go to The Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa. The name (Paint The Town) RED is both a nod to each artist’s roots in graffiti and street art, as well as the goal of creating awareness and inviting others to join (RED) in the fight against AIDS in Africa. And as one of the most iconic shoes used throughout the decades by street artists and creative individuals everywhere, Chuck Taylor All Star shoes are the perfect muse for the project. Each shoe in the collection is unique, yet is unified with an iced outsole with a paint brush stroke.

The four artist models will launch exclusively at Converse’s First String retailers throughout Fall 2010 commencing with the Parra Chuck Taylor silhouette dropping in August, 2010.

Artist, illustrator, graphic designer and music maker, Pieter “Parra” Janssen, forged his name as a graphic artist early-on. Hailing from Amsterdam, he is now widely known for his eye-catching colorful characters, cheeky posters, numerous design collaborations, his band Le Le and his clothing company Rockwell. For his version of the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe, Parra chose to create a khaki suede version featuring a playful take on prep. In true Parra spirit, the pattern is a departure from the standard repeat print and features a more ironic version with cherries complete with legs and stiletto heels. “I wanted to incorporate the color red, and cherries came up. I wanted to go for a kind of preppy look, but I didn’t want it to be so serious, so I incorporated the cherry character!” says Parra. Even the lining evokes that country club feel with a menswear cotton twill in a stand-out dark pink. Accenting the shoe, monochromatic bright white rubber makes up the shoe’s rubber rands.

Parra’s Converse (PRODUCT)^RED Chuck Taylor All Star high top shoe comes in sizes 8 - 13 and has a suggested retail price of $75.00.

The shoe will be available at the following retailers beginning August 28, 2010:

Wish – Atlanta GA

Nice Kicks – Austin TX

Saint Alfred – Chicago IL

Major – Washington DC

Just Be – Portland OR

Nom de Guerre produced this short film directed by Zach Gold, featuring the new Nom de Guerre version of the classic Converse Skidgrip CVO shoe. The shoe launch and video coincide with Nom de Guerre’s launch into online retail and feature the Converse shoe as well as Nom de Guerre’s upcoming FW10 collection “Countdown to Violence”.

Originally introduced in the early 1960s, the Converse Skid Grip CVO shoe was originally offered for tennis and boating due to its grippy soles. Later it became popular in the 1980s in the surf and “new wave” scenes. Wil Whitney recalls them from back in the day and says that “years ago, a friend gave me a pair of vintage Skid Grip CVO’s and from that point on, that was all that I wanted to wear”.

Nom de Guerre’s take on the classic shoe uses traditional fabrics with added high-tech touches to update and improve functionality. Rubberized cotton makes it extremely versatile, and gives it a clean and refined look and feel. Very minimal with no accoutrements, the shoe is extremely spare with only a clean Converse license plate logo and a simple Nom de Guerre logo gracing the footbed.

On Friday July 30^th the shoe launches along with the full length video that will be screened at the Nom de Guerre store at 640 Broadway in New York City. The film will launch on (www.nomdeguerre.net) on Monday August 2.

The Nom de Guerre for Converse Skid Grip CVO shoe will be available in low-top rubberized cotton canvas. The shoe launches July 30th at Nom de Guerre in New York City and Los Angeles and will be the first e-commerce offering on nomdeguerre.net. Shoes will retail for suggested retail price of $95 and will be available in sizes 8 - 13.

This summer, Converse is cooking up something HUGE by bringing together three extraordinary Artists from different genres to form a unique collaboration known as Three Artists. One Song. The core of this project is a brand new, all original track featuring Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast, Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend and Kid Cudi that will be released this July and available to music fans globally via free download at  converse.com and authorized Converse websites around the world. In addition to collaborating on the track, each of the artists also participated in the creation of the music video, which will be released later this summer.

Kid Cudi is one of today’s most innovative artists,” said Geoff Cottrill, Chief Marketing Officer of Converse. “His eclectic style and ability to weave timeless samples effortlessly into his own music sets him apart from his peers. At Converse, we always champion creativity and if his past collaborative efforts are any indication, the creative freshness he will bring to the new single is sure to make the song an instant summer hit.”

In anticipation of the song’s release, each artist is also featured in a short film, with the second installment exploring Kid Cudi’s life, and the influences that make him one of today’s most pioneering artists. The film captures Cudi exploring his native Cleveland and provides a unique look into his artistic journey

To view the film visit http://www.youtube.com/conversegallery