Spotlight On: Aleali May

Us girls are pissed. off.

It’s 2021 and we still can’t cop some of the highest heat because our feet aren’t big enough! And don’t come at us and say we have grade-school sneakers because you KNOW that’s not the same...

Our next focus for the ‘Spotlight On’ series is the gorgeous Aleali May. You’ll know her from being the hottest name on your IG feed right now, but we’re not here to talk about how much of a bloody stunner she is (she is, isn’t she?), but to highlight how she is paving the way for us female sneakerheads to ensure that there is enough representation for women in the streetwear scene.

Californian-born Aleali, pronounced Uh-Lay-Lee, grew up around sneakers and now boasts a collection of over 300 pairs! The 28-year-old stylist has reiterated how important sneakers were to her growing up in South LA:

For college, Aleali moved from the West Coast further east to Chicago and started working at Louis Vuitton, before moving onto Don C and Virgil Abloh’s RSVP Gallery. This was without a doubt a defining moment, as it kicked off her career and got her noticed as a force to be reckoned with.

In case you didn’t know, Aleali was the first female to ever design a unisex J. Rewind four years, 2017 saw the release of the Aleali May x Jordan 1 Retro High Shadow; one ultra-cool sneaker that paid homage to her LA roots.

This monochromatic Jordan 1 was constructed from a mixture of materials, which, let’s be absolutely clear here, wasn’t just a mishmash of fabrics that May fancied seeing on her first ever AJ1, but a well-thought through and sentimental addition to this game-changing shoe. The combination of corduroy, chenille and satin on this high-top acted as an ode to the slippers her uncle and dad used to wear, as well as their vintage Starter jackets.

When talking to SSENSE, Aleali was asked if she has ever felt intimidated by the overwhelming male presence in the streetwear industry. Responding, May said that "I’ve been blessed to be around men who have encouraged me to take advantage of what I want. Whether it was my uncle or my dad, or Don and Virgil showing me that I can do those things, they’ve always said, 'whatever you’re going to do, we’ll support you regardless'..."

Throughout interviews, May often recollects her childhood memories: talking of her Dad taking her to queue up for the latest J release and reiterating how he often influenced her style. It’s particularly poignant that Aleali focuses on her male relatives as influences for her style and creative outlook. It hits home that there is only a very small number of female icons for us to look up to in the streetwear and sneaker scene, and only very recently have us ladies found our place thanks to strong movements across social media. Those growing up in the ‘90s, like May, didn’t have this. It’s now incredibly easy to find like-minded people, who are all passionate about the same causes, but there is still a significant lack of outside influence for women who are interested in streetwear, sneakers and sports in general to look up to.

In the same interview with SSENSE, May commented on how all she wanted when she was younger was to:

Now, fast-forward to 2018 and Ms. May created a collection with none other than WNBA star Maya Moore (notably the first EVER female basketball player to collab with the Jordan Brand). Two passionate, female sneakerheads coming together to create a collaboration that will go down in the history books? Yes, please.

The ‘Court Lux’ Jordan duo infused basketball, hip hop, skateboarding and fashion to create two bangin’ women’s-exclusive releases in the form of the Aleali May x Air Jordan 1 High "Viotech" and the Jordan X Retro Maya Moore from Maya. Traditional colour-blocking, premium suede, and a fur tongue that represented May’s love for the worlds of streetwear and high fashion colliding meant that it was no wonder this Air Jordan 1 was a must-cop for female sneakerheads near and far.

When talking of the collection, Moore commented:

Worn by the likes of Bella Hadid, Jourdan Dunn, Leomie Anderson and Melody Ehsani, there is no doubt that every female sneakerhead will want at least one pair of Ms. May’s Jordans in their collection.

May doesn’t avoid confronting the fact that she is a girl in a man’s world. Too often, we ladies believe we must like the things men do to prove our place. However, the 2019 Air Jordan 6 ‘Millennial Pink’ stayed true to the stereotype that ‘girls wear pink’, whilst screaming “YES. We do wear pink AND we love streetwear and sneakers! So, take. that."

It’s understandable why girls so often avoid pink; afraid of falling into social structures and moulds of what men expect us to wear. However, when questioned about her Jordan VI, Aleali claimed to have drawn inspiration from men’s clothing that was in fashion at the time. It made her realise that:

May stepped out of the box with this J6: whilst her earlier designs with the Jordan Brand had taken inspiration from her childhood and past experiences, her third Air Jordan collaboration was a signal to look to the future. Hang in there, girls. The world is changing, slowly but surely. Keep posting on your ‘gram highlighting the inequality us ladies face in the streetwear scene; keep buying and celebrating women’s-exclusive drops, whilst remaining hopeful that one day in the future there will be ‘no such thing’; and support female designers, past and present, to prove that we are the future.