Learning Design Storytelling with Sean Wotherspoon
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If you blindfold Sean Wotherspoon and put a blank t-shirt in front of him, he can tell you – just by feeling it – the name of its maker and what year it was made in.
This ability pierces right to the heart of the Virginia-born, Tokyo-based artist’s design philosophy. Wotherspoon first emerged as co-founder of viral vintage clothing chain Round 2 in the early 2010s, but his real breakthrough came when he won Nike’s 2017 Vote Forward competition with his now-highly sought-after ‘80s-inspired Air Max 1/97 SW design. Since then, Wotherspoon has applied his uniquely tactile and story-driven design vision to a range of different mediums, from motorbikes and cars to a recent patchwork-inspired collaboration with the Pokémon Company.
“I work in colour, I work in texture, I work in materials. I always say that I want people to close their eyes, feel my projects, and still be able to gain a love for them. It’s the same with vintage shopping – you should be able to do it with your eyes closed. Designs should activate multiple different senses.”
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A collaboration born from a shared belief that the places that inspire us are worth protecting.
Below, we dive deeper into Wotherspoon’s unique, story-driven design philosophy.
When did you first fall in love with design?
It was Nike. Really, I hadn’t designed anything before that except the interiors of my stores, or some quick store merch. Nike was essentially my design school. When I went there, I fell in love with the storytelling and just the process and the logistics behind bringing a dream to reality. I became obsessed.
What do you think shaped your eye for design?
I really couldn’t tell you! My mom showed me some drawings I did when I was five-years-old. It was me wearing a color-blocked jacket. For some reason, there’s been something about color and, specifically, color blocking that’s just always been in my head. Life was pretty colourful in the ‘90s, I guess… But that’s why it’s fun for me to tell a story with each project, because it’s also me trying to learn more about myself and the root of my inspiration.
What sort of values and philosophies do you tap into when you design?
Storytelling is the only skill, but I’ve also taken time to not learn anything. I’m terrible with tech, I don’t even own a computer, I am the most analog dude you’ll ever meet, and I try to keep it at that.
Were there any role models or teachers that helped you on this journey?
I really love [skateboarder and designer] Mark Gonzalez, I’ve always looked up to skaters. I also love Picasso, Keith Haring, but I’m more inspired by modern-day peers like my homies Easy Otabor and Verdy.
Are there any lessons you’ve learnt from collecting and designing clothes that you take into life more widely?
I learned business, really. I’ve proved to myself that I can sit with a $10 billion company and somehow still get my ideas across to them. Business and how to maneuver in those situations is the number one thing that I’ve learned because, outside of art and design, having those skills is what gets you to the next milestone. You can do art until the end of time, but, unless you know how to make a business out of it, it’s just a hobby.
How do you hope people feel when they wear your designs?
I hope it brings out joy. I hope what I’ve designed makes you feel happy – that’s the best payoff. I was in Germany once and I saw a lady wearing my shoes. I told her, ‘Hey, I like your shoes’. She didn’t have any idea who I was, but she was still like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love these shoes! They've been the best shoes I’ve had’. That’s the best payment you can get.
What’s the greatest sneaker of all time?
That’s almost impossible for me to answer. I love the ‘85 Jordans, I love the Nike Air Woven, but I’m too big of a sneakerhead to make that decision. It’s like choosing between children.
Who's the greatest designer of all time?
In modern times, I would go with Virgil [Abloh]’. He did so much for so many people, he changed so many lives.
Finally, if you weren’t working with designs, what would you be doing?
I’d probably be living on a beach on an island. Surfing and soaking up the sun.
