Jayson Mayden (Jordan Designer) – WMF Interview

$port, great producer and Way More Fresher representative, was in Phoenix last week for the beatmaker convention known as the One Stop Shop (jealous!).  While he was there, he was able to sneak an interview with Jayson Mayden, intern-turned-Senior Designer at Jordan.  Read some cool insight he gave about the design of the 2009 Jordans (shout out to all industrial designers!) and his love for hip-hop.  I’ll post the full interview after the jump because sometimes all 18 of the KTL readers can be lazy but you should check out WMF after you’re done.

$port writes:

We all know just how much the legacy of Michael Jordan means to our culture. He redefined the game of basketball with his style on and off the court. Gold chains during games. Baggy shorts. Black Ferraris. He singlehandedly reshaped what it meant to be a superstar as well as a professional athlete.

With the legacy of Mike comes the legacy of the Jordans themselves. The Jordan broke so many barriers in terms of style, design and even price. I can remember Mama $ lining up early in the morning while I was in school, just so I could have my pair. I’m sure you all have your own stories of getting girls solely because those new Mikes went crazy with your favorite outfit or fights breaking out in the mall because cats couldn’t/didn’t get their pairs.

Cut to 2009. Countless pairs later, the Air Jordan is STILL the shoe to have. Lines are still long and prices are still high. There are many people who play a part in making sure the Jordan brand upholds the legacy of the man himself, but few play a bigger part than Jason Mayden. As the Senior Footwear design over at Jordan, he’s had a major hand in designing some the ill kicks that have been rolling off the line, including the Air Jordan 2009 as of recent. I was humbled and honored to meet him out in Phoenix last week. So switching back into blogger mode, I shot for an interview, and he accepted. This is a gigantic look for WMF. Scroll down to get a glimpse into the world of a man who makes a living off of keeping the world on its toes.

Give our readers a little bit of background on who you are and what you do.
Jason Mayden, Senior Footwear Designer for Jordan and loyal fan of quality hip-hop since 1980!

Just how exactly did you land the gig with Jordan?
It is a very long story. I won’t go into too much detail, but I began writing letters to Nike at the age of 10. I would send drawings and letters in hopes of being put in contact with someone who could help me get in. I never got a true response on a bunch of posters and stickers, but it gave me focus. It made Nike a real place. Later on in life, I would cold call Nike and ask to speak with someone in design. This, too, never went the way I expected to, but everytime I heard “Hi thanks for calling Nike,” I would get excited.

I tell people that if you have a dream do everything in your power to bring a sense of reality to it. Calling Nike was the reality I needed to fuel my dream. Fast forward to college. That is when I landed an internship in Jordan. I was the first design intern in the brand. It was a blessing because Jordan had just became an official brand. I’ve been there since the beginning and it’s crazy looking back on how far we have come since 2001.

What was it like meeting Mike for the first time? How involved is he in the design process?
Man it was crazy! The first true meeting I had with him was at his house. I didn’t want to touch anything!. I was nervous, but Mike is a cool brother so he made me feel right at home. MJ is extremely involved. We see him all the time. He is very savvy about design. He knows more than most designers.

You’ve had a hand in some crazy designs and collabs. If you had to choose, which is your favorite?
The Doernbecher stuff. Working with those kids is humbling and amazing at the same time. The celebrity collabs are cool as well. But those kids just make you appreciate your blessings. They are faced with tremendous odds but yet they face them with strength and bravery.

We were talking about how sports and entertainment go hand-in-hand. And I know you’ve met the greatest of both industries. Who are some of your favorite people you want to work with?
I would love to work with Kanye. I did some stuff for him when his Moms passed away. I am good friends with one of his close friends so I wanted to show my support for that brother. We are both from the Chi so it would be crazy to work with him. I would like to work on something with my brother, too. He is an up and coming producer named AOK. It’s gonna happen!! And then there is 9th Wonder. That brother is as cool as they come. I just met him and we have been chopping it up heavy. He is our generation’s Quincy Jones mixed with Dr.Cornell West. So we may collab on the education tip. Last but not least, Dr.Dre, Nas and Jay-Z. Nuff said.

The AJ 2009 was such a different design compared to some of the other Mike’s we’ve seen. Where did the inspiration come from?
It came from the sport if fencing and the way MJ played defense. So it’s a totally different approach to how we describe MJ.

You never hear too many people say, ‘I wanna design sneakers’. People just want to wear them. What advice can you give to someone out there who wants to do what you do?
Go to school. Get a degree in Design. A lot of people think, “Oh I can draw a hot sneaker I should work for Jordan now.” It’s not about drawing, it’s a business first. It’s corporate America. And if anyone thinks that they will walk in and get to design the Air Jordan based on the fact thy they can draw nice pictures, they are sadly mistaken. Education is the grand equalizer to any endeavor you may pursue. Arm yourself with knowledge. Otherwise, all you will ever be is a person who can draw nice pictures. And lastly, get a mentor and an internship. Those are crucial!

Now, I know this is a tough question for any of us, but I’m gonna ask you anyway. What is your all-time favorite pair of Mikes?
Man. The AJ2010! I love the future. I love the unknown, you know? But the IV is close to my heart as well.

Without giving away too much info, what can we expect from Brand Jordan, particularly the AJ 2010, in the near future?
We will be making great shoes. That’s all I can say! Thanks for the love and support!