Ugg and Tremaine Emory’s Denim Tears launched a two-piece footwear collection on Tuesday inspired by his Black Seminole heritage.
Emory partnered with Lucette Holland of Sincere Dignified Goods to redesign Ugg’s Classic ($500) and Tasman ($475) styles with cotton and beading true to traditional Seminole moccasins. The styles are named after a short film, “Onia,” directed by Emory which also released on Tuesday.
Emory, founder of the lifestyle brand, has also partnered with Converse and Asics on footwear, as well as Champion on apparel, and on Tuesday also launched a collaboration with Levi’s. With all of his partnerships, he strives to tell deeper stories on Black history and culture. The Ugg project in particular was a way for him to connect to his Native American, or First Nation, heritage.
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“[First Nation heritage] wasn’t a part of my life except through my great-grandmother,” Emory said. His grandmother, Liza, would tell him about her mother, which spurred his interest and inspired him to dig deeper. He traveled to New Orleans to visit local museums and learn more about Black Seminoles and Mardi Gras Indians.
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“Black people and First Nation heritage are connected. First Nation culture and Africans who are descendants of African slaves had kids, lived together, fought in wars together, fought against their oppressors together and shared their music. It’s a story of glory.”
Emory and Ugg will be donating $50,000 to Backstreet Cultural Museum, where Emory did most of his research, and Guardians Institute, which is dedicated to the development of youth and focuses on literacy, the cultural arts of the larger Indigenous community and the oral traditions of West African and American cultures.
The donations to Backstreet Cultural Museum will help the museum rebuild after its destruction during Hurricane Ida.
Though the products launch on the first day of Black History Month, Emory explained that the timing is coincidental. “A month can’t encapsulate a culture as diverse as ours,” he said. “Twenty-eight days can’t encapsulate what African-Americans have done for this country, or women’s history, gay pride, First Nation’s month. That’s why I’m here telling these stories and hopefully the stories I share will help be a bridge for people to live in the western patriarchal world.”