JORDAN DAWSON

During his time at Chelsea College of Arts, Jordan spent three months working on a hyperrealist drawing that would become a major turning point in his career. In 2017, that piece—a portrait of Conor McGregor—earned him Young Artist of the Year at the National Open Art Awards.

After graduating, Jordan worked part-time at Niketown London. While immersed in sneaker culture, he quickly realised he wanted to be creating rather than selling footwear. This led him to begin experimenting—customising shoes from his own collection, deconstructing and reshaping them, and painting new designs by hand.

What started as a personal passion soon became a portfolio that he sent to more than 20 companies, though none initially responded. Undeterred, Jordan eventually took the bold step of presenting his work directly to Nike HQ. That moment proved to be a breakthrough. He was invited to design for Nike’s 2018 London Air Force 1 campaign, where he created digital designs, customised shoes live for thousands of customers, and worked with artists and athletes including Jorja Smith, Mason Mount, and Phil Foden.

Following the campaign, opportunities quickly grew. Major brands including Adidas, Puma, Converse, and Ellesse began collaborating with him on projects ranging from creative campaigns to customisation workshops, helping him build a portfolio with some of the biggest names in footwear.

In 2019, EA Sports invited Jordan to design the FIFA 20 Volta pitch alongside heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. At the launch event, he customised Adidas Superstars for football icons including Kaká, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Ian Wright. During an interview with BBC Sport, he was asked whether he had ever customised football boots. Although he hadn’t at the time, the question sparked an idea. Shortly after, he began creating bespoke boots for professional players - starting with Declan Rice.