A Q&A with the Upstate designer, culture whisperer, and fashion advocate
Creative engineer Severino Alvarez might call Greenville home, but his interests—and his influence—extend as far as his single-engine plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza Debonair, can fly. With so many exciting projects in the works, asking Alvarez is always a sure bet when you’re looking for fresh inspiration at the intersection of art and culture . . . or for your next pair of must-have sneakers.
Q&A with Severino Alvarez
Q: What does being a “sneakerhead” mean to you?
A: Initially, I think it meant having cool sneakers. People noticed what you were wearing and respected that it was hard to get or sought-after—and that’s a good feeling. Today, I steer away from that label because of the negativity that can come from things like fast fashion, but sneakers still play a pivotal role in how I see the world around me. Sneaker culture gives me a way to tap into what kids around the world see and think.
Q: Your original sneaker concept, the Jarritos x Nike SB Dunk Low, recently won Sneaker Collaboration of the Year! Tell us about it.
A: Everywhere I’ve been in the world, Jarritos [a brand of soft drinks from Mexico] has brought a smile to people’s faces—including mine. I was that young kid on a skateboard walking into the corner store with crumbled up dollar bills to buy a Jarritos. I wanted to tell a story that reflected all of it . . . the nostalgia, the skateboarding community, the brand’s Mexican heritage, and our shared Hispanic culture—in an authentic way. Whenever you can pay homage to an entire group of people, it’s special.
Q: Speaking of childhood memories, I grew up watching the Braves play in Atlanta, and I heard your dad is famously part of your story.
A: Yeah, dude, my dad’s the legend. Former Atlanta Braves player Jose Alvarez. He came from nothing and pursued his passion in baseball and obviously made a name for himself. I grew up watching my dad play for the San Francisco Giants wearing this really cool pair of black Nikes with the orange swoosh when he was pitching, and that just stuck with me. Nike is still my No. 1.
Q: On the fashion frontier, let’s check in on another venture of yours. What can you share about the Mexico Design Fair?
A: There’s very little emphasis in the world on furniture and livable art rather than paintings and things that hang on your walls. This will be our fifth year of the Mexico Design Fair, [which] my partner Carlos and I started to focus on design that we use in our daily lives, from tables to beds. It’s an unbelievable weekend of culture, history, sightseeing, artistic discovery . . . and we pair that with mostly unseen and up-and’coming artists from all around the world, and introduce Mexican and Latino designers to the international market.
Q: I know it’s a tough question, but what are your top three sneakers of all time? (So far!)
A: Obviously, I love the shoe I designed because I believe in the story we told—so, the Jarritos x Nike SB Dunk Low. I’ve always loved the art and sophistication of timeless luxury brands, so when Christian Dior and Jordan brand came together with Italian leather and the Christian Dior monogram logo and put it in a swoosh for the Dior Air Jordan 1, I just thought was a super special moment. It shows you there’s infinite possibilities in collaborating and creating things, especially inside sneakers. And lastly, I’ll say the NikeCraft: Mars Yard Shoe by Tom Sachs. He’s an incredible designer out of New York, and I just love that he takes sneaker culture and flips it on its head to make it industrial engineering.
Keep up with Alvarez on Instagram @severinotruely.
