Lexus unveiled a collaboration with Nike and designer John Elliot at New York Fashion Week, celebrating both human and automotive footwear. The finished piece, titled “Sole of the UX,” is scheduled to make additional appearances across the country later this year, touring with a matching pair of Nike AF1 shoes.
After conducting a bit of research, Elliott appears to be a fashion designer specializing in the least imaginative streetwear ever to enter mass production. His beige drawstring pants, which run about $200 USD, are probably the most creative item in his entire catalog. The brunt of his collection involves plain shirts and lots of faded denim.
While not hideous by any means, it’s devoid of any unique style. The articles of clothing Elliot specializes in are the kind of pieces you’d wear while running errands or relaxing at home. They just cost a lot more. However, as Elliot openly describes his take on fashion as intentionally “basic,” there’s little reason to get ultra salty over how so much of his fashion line resembles a high-quality burlap sack. Instead, let’s focus our collective ire on Lexus.
Last year, the brand tapped minimalist Pedro Henriques to cover half of a UX crossover in white paint and toss some black splotches on an LFA coupe. While we don’t have problems with art cars, Lexus’ offerings from 2018 were beyond bland. I placed their level of excitement and memorability somewhere between eating a bowl of dry cereal and ordering a package of socks online.
Unfortunately, the automaker’s creative aspirations don’t appear to have evolved and absolutely reek of corporate shenanigans. Elliott is probably most famous for working with Nike, specifically on the latest incarnation of its Air Force 1 sneakers. Despite the shoes looking like the prescription jobs my grandfather wore in 1990, they’ve become popular enough for some high level cross-branding with Lexus.
Ultimately, this just means a new set of shoe-inspired tires. Typically, this works backwards — with shoe companies delivering special edition footwear based on a specific automotive brands or models.
This time around, we got a shoe-based car instead of the usual car-based shoe. Maybe that’s not be the best way to explain the situation. The only thing that has really changed on the Lexus is the rubber, which does match the famous white Nikes right down to the swoosh. But it all feels so lazy. Save for Elliot’s own name on the rear doors and the completely white paint job, there’s nothing else to set this car apart from a standard Lexus UX — it even wears stock wheels.
The most unpalatable aspect of this has precious little to do with design and everything to do with the clumsy attempt at cross-branding. Nike wanted to further promote the shoe, Lexus wanted to highlight the brand’s involvement, and John Elliot knew this would help raise awareness of his clothing line. You can almost hear the dull teleconference where this idea was pushed through as you gaze into the UX’s chalky rounds.
“We were excited to merge the streetwear narrative and design cues of our Air Force 1 with a brand like Lexus,” Elliot said at the unveiling. “We’re thankful they’ve allowed us to use this moment to celebrate the arts and to bring extra energy to our take on a classic … It’s fun to partner with brands that typically live outside the fashion community because it allows us to evolve and continue to push our own boundaries.”
We would like to congratulate Mr. Elliot for not forgetting to mention every key player involved in this utterly transparent business decision masquerading as art. But what the hell constitutes “the streetwear narrative?” At least Pedro Henriques cooked up a story about how his work with Lexus allowed for him to design a piece that says something about contemporary living.
On the upside, the Sole of the UX debut also included a charity auction benefiting Inner-City Arts in Los Angeles. As for the car, it’s effectively a mobile art installation aimed at promoting the companies involved to key demographics (young urbanites with extra cash). Lexus has no intention of selling its UX with white rubber and Nike isn’t going to start competing with Goodyear — not that you could safely drive on these tires if they did.
[Images: Lexus; John Elliot]
OMG, whitewalls!… They’re BAAAACK
The car and shoes look like total failures
Bring out your leisure suit and get ready to boogy!
That’s boogie, dammit! :-)
This is embarrassing all-around. And I think the UX will be a flop.
The UX will succeed. But I’m pretty sure that anyone who equips it with white, treadless tires will not be a repeat buyer.
FreedMike
I think you meant to say: the Lexus UX does suck indeed.
No luxury subcompact crossover is selling well. I don”t see a lexus in old nurses shoes will make a difference.
The UX will sell like crazy because people love junk and Lexus has lost its mojo.
I’m not sophisticated enough to get it.
White tires with no tread – what could go wrong?
(Well, this tells you who Lexus is trying to chase with this vehicle – fashionista types.)
Is that what they’re calling the Kardashians and their associates now, ” fashionista types”?
Yep. Apparently they buy stuff like tiny CUVs with white, treadless tires. I’d say I weep for the future, but back in the day, people were buying cars with fake convertible tops. No one ever said consumerism made any sense.
That will look real nice sitting in traffic. /s
Lexus is really trying to alienate itself from its conservative customers. What’s next? Planned Parenthood’s First Annual Newborn Baby Stomp brought to you by Lexus?
Mods, can we ban this person? This comment is completely inappropriate.
Oh, look. Someone can’t handle the truth.
Not exactly in the same league as a Bill Blass edition Lincoln.
… or a Gucci Cadillac Seville, with matching luggage
… or Coach edition Lexus.
Imagine putting tan, treadless saddle leather tires on a LS400.
S-UX
Wow… that would look so cool driving through a dense snowfall.
Cheshire Car; all you’d see is the maw.
In some dive bar where no one really cars what your name is, or what your back story is, they just want to drink with other people who need to get drunk out of their minds; Melody Lee is drinking double bar-brand vodkas on the rocks and sobbing, “that could’ve been me!”
el scotto
Meanwhile, Lexus drivers are flocking to pharmacies across the U.S. Middle aged women buying lubricant, and filling their prescriptions for anxiety medication. Elderly men getting boner pills. All getting ready for their once a year Valentines day sex.
I’m kind of amazed there’s any place for a “designer” in today’s America whose sole creative mantra appears to be, “let’s make everything white!”
There isn’t. But there’s plenty of clueless people with money in New York, to scam out of a few shekels by saying the $1 china shirt they are wearing is “designed” by a “designer.” The “designer” doesn’t have t be one. The clueless wouldn’t know the difference anyway. That’s what being clueless is all about.
Next big thing are designer babies to match Lexus whoever edition.
On the plus side it just needs white wheels with normal tires to recreate a particular late-80’s/early-’90’s “this is a sporty car!” aesthetic.
“Made ya look!” was what they wanted to do, and succeeded.
I’ve driven the NX a number of times and it is an absolute steaming pile of crap, this is just a slightly smaller steaming pile. Both will make big cash for Lexus, Lexus should be ashamed to sell them. Lexus is becoming the new Mercedes, chasing every niche in CUV/lease-bait land. Proof? go look look at a late 90s to early 2000s Lexus and compare the quality to this junk.
That “streetwear” is now the latest fad employed to sucker geriatrics out of their pill budgets, kinda makes me feel old…
Note to Lexus: Young people of consequence ride Birds. And roll their eyes at skateboards. Like skaters once did at rollergirl, back before they, themselves became sagging 50 year olds in skinny jeans.
Overpriced consumerist crap devoid of unique style? PURPOSE MADE for Lexus tie-in.
I long for the days when Toyota was devoid of unique style. Is it your take that their designers assumed new German cars sell because they’re ugly, so Lexus is ripping off the German’s gimmick of being hideous? I tend to look at the spindle as being repellent in its own way.
Looking at those shoes, it sounds like their target audience is Nurse Ratched.