Chromat is proud to premiere JOY RUN, a film by Tourmaline, as our official New York Fashion Week digital event on Tuesday, Sept 15, 2020. The film continues the creative reimagining of athletics as a gender inclusive space, a vision that began with the Chromat AW20 Collection. 

Teams sports & athletics have an incredible capacity to bring people together and offer powerful opportunities to be creative and focused with our bodies. To feel fully alive.

We are in a moment where so much is happening on an international and local level around sports that reproduce a world we don’t need or deserve.

It is in that context, JOY RUN models the ways that sport -in its broadest form- can be a force for pleasure, for lifting each other up, for reveling in the deliciousness of our bodies. For joy! 

 Watch the live panel with director Tourmaline and stars of the film Andraya Yearwood and Chase Strangio:

Note From The Director Tourmaline:

“I was an organizer for Black queer and trans movements for over 15 years before I started making films. One thing I always saw was that our community always finds a way to reach for joy in pleasure in the midst of challenges. Often we derive pleasure from seemingly simple things. The legendary Black trans elder Miss Major frequently talks about the joy of a cool drink of water.

Coming together under the guise of everyday activities and reflecting back how powerful those can be is my mission as an artist. I have noticed that being together in our joy doing seemingly small every day acts has huge impacts on the world, especially through the valence of fashion and self expression.

So what we are making ultimately is a film that supports us plugging into something larger than ourselves and to be seen as valuable, important and powerful. What we are making will shape the world.”

THE DREAM TEAM

This cast of courageous leaders demonstrates the breadth and power within our community, the importance of intersectional representation, and what it means to show up joyfully and fully. 

Student athletes Andraya Yearwood and Terry Miller represent the heart of the film. The two runners discuss their work as advocates for transgender girls’ inclusion in sports, the families they built on the track team and the obstacles they faced. As high school athletes, they became defendants in a lawsuit by fellow high school runners in Connecticut who sought to block the participation of transgender athletes in Connecticut high school sports, claiming they had an unfair advantage. 

Chase Strangio, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and a transgender rights activist represented Andraya and Terry and provides context that “there is no simple way to regulate people into biological categories of male and female. The second that we cede that control to people outside of ourselves, it’s going to hurt everyone.” In deciding the potential for our bodies, “Trans people are the ultimate guides for sport.” 

Maya Margarita, a non-binary trans femme artist, Chella Man, a deaf, trans, genderqueer artist, maya finoh, a non-binary cultural worker and Jerron Herman, a writer, artist and dancer with cerebral palsy proudly represent the potential for our bodies through their movement and joy.

JOY RUN is a fun, bold, bright, rhythmic piece that finds delight and poetry in real bodies-- bodies that we don't usually get to appreciate this way. The camera is a lucky audience member at a time when there are no stadiums in which to see this kind of performance. Like the Greek myth of the hunter who happens upon the gods bathing in a pool in the forest. Though we won't be punished-- our gods want us to watch, feel our admiration as they cruise each other, blow bubbles, dance, swing on the swing set and revel in the deliciousness of life. 

CHROMAT x REEBOK AW20 INSTAPUMP FURY

The film celebrates the launch of the Chromat x Reebok AW20 Instapump Fury collection. The ombre colorways were inspired by color spectrums and the beauty and possibility of abolishing the gender binary. The linework on the upper is inspired by a track and field running track, warped and stretched to represent the non-linear journey of thriving amidst obstacles. A gender fluid symbol is embroidered on the back of the heel. The shoes come in 3 colorways: Miami Red, Turf Teal and Chromat Blue and are available to shop at chromat.co and reebok.com 

 

By removing the laces in favor of Reebok’s Pump Technology Full-Foot Chamber System and switching out the midsole for a GraphLite® bridge instead, the Instapump is able to be lightweight while still fitting firmly to the wearer’s feet. Other key details of this sneaker include the Hexalite® technology in the heel for exceptional comfort and air cushioning, in order to soften impact while providing traction and stability via the hexagon-shaped lug pattern. 

FLOWER CROWNS + FEARLESS HAIR

Ancient Greek Olympians and Marsha P Johnson alike were festooned with flower laurels and our dream team is adorned with flower crowns by Fleurotica. Hair stylist Ursula Stephen connected the Fleurotica florals with each athlete's hair to complement their individual hair texture and champion their personal style, from soft waves to locs to buzz cuts. 

OMBRE EYES + FACE FILTERS

The makeup look (designed over zoom) by Fatima Thomas at MAC Cosmetics emphasised the eyes with coordinated ombre colors, as each of our athletes safely wore Chromat face masks during the shoot. The ombre shadows and liners were inspired by color spectrums and the beauty and possibility of abolishing the two system gender binary and embracing spectrums. Chromat is launching a set of 4 Instagram face filters with the distinctive makeup featured in the film, it will be available on Sept 15 on @chromat’s instagram. 

AW20 FACE MASKS

The athletes in the film debut Chromat’s new protective face masks created with fabric from the AW20 Collection. These masks are a new addition to the collection and are designed to protect the wearer from corona exposure while participating in athletic activities. They come in 4 colors: yellow, red, blue and green and are available in 2 cuts: pleated and seamed. The masks feature adjustable ear loops and nose bridges and are available at chromat.co. 

 

 

Meet the DREAM TEAM

Maya Margarita, Artist, she/they

What is your favorite sport, movement and/or play to engage in?

Swimming! I love the feeling of being held by and immersed in water.

Who is one of your favorite athletes?

Misty Copeland, because despite being involved in a medium that demands perfection, 

she encourages the opposite and celebrates individuality. I'm so inspired whenever I watch her.

 

Where do you see opportunities for athletics/sport to evolve and transform?

To me, sports should focus on celebrating our humanity, our togetherness and serve as a source of light. 

I like to think if that was at the core of the intentions behind it all, we'd live to see a genuine embrace of our power and strength.

How do you feel fashion can impact society?

Fashion is such an integral part of who we are and it holds so much power. I think if it were to lead with sustainability and an encouragement of freedom in expression, it would change how we came to know our world and each other tremendously. 

Chella Man, Artist, Deaf, Genderqueer, Asian, Jewish

What is your favorite sport, movement and/or play to engage in?

Soccer! I grew up playing it for years.

Who is one of your favorite athletes?

My sister, Maya Man! She is a dancer; it's beautiful to watch her express herself through movement.

Where do you see opportunities for athletics/sport to evolve and transform?

Every sport could evolve to be more accessible. I used to be on a travel basketball team for a few years. I always felt stressed about hearing the plays, so I asked the coach if we could make up hand signals instead of calling them out. We came up with a few, but in the moment, my non-disabled teammates would often forget to sign it. As long as non-disabled athletes recognize the importance of accessibility, many challenges such as this would not exist. 

How do you feel fashion can impact society?

It allows people to experiment with the ways they are perceived in this world. This simple fact opens a world of opportunities. Because presentation is inherently linked with the gender binary, this allows many, who are questioning their gender, an escape. Through fashion, we can challenge our own identities by manifesting our internal dialogues.

maya finoh, cultural worker & abolitionist. non-binary.

What is your favorite sport, movement and/or play to engage in?

My favorite movement to engage in is dancing in front of a mirror to some good music and watching my body move! I also really enjoy the ritual of stretching out my body while doing some breathing exercises.

Who is one of your favorite athletes?

One of my favorite athletes is Paul Robeson. He played college football pretty well and was also an actor, singer, and activist. He was an unapologetic internationalist and communist who truly paid the price for his beliefs (he was blackballed from the entertainment industry and got his passport revoked by the U.S. government in the 1950s because of McCarthyism). I really appreciate that he never gave up on the liberation struggle and spent his life committed to fighting against white supremacy, capitalism, and imperialism.

Where do you see opportunities for athletics/sport to evolve and transform?

I see an opportunity for athletics/sports to evolve and transform out of historical transphobia and the continued perpetuation of the two-gender binary. I love seeing this new wave of amazing young trans athletes who are refusing to allow oppressive definitions of gender keep them from playing or being their authentic selves. 

How do you feel fashion can impact society?

Fashion is a powerful determinant of what is beautiful, good, and chic for many people. One of the ways in which I feel fashion can impact society is by rejecting and pushing back against eurocentric, fatphobic, cishet, and ableist beauty standards. I really want to see more fat, disabled, trans, Black, and Indigenous designers/models in the fashion industry.

 

Jerron Herman, Artist, Dancer with Cerebral Palsy, Writer

What is your favorite sport, movement and/or play to engage in?

I am a DANCER. Love to follow and flow with the way our body naturally moves, bends, and jolts. But what's good about it is it's not ALWAYS for outside eyes. Feeling my body is feeling alive. I like finding dance in other spaces like Tennis, Running, Wrestling, Swimming. It connects.

Who is one of your favorite athletes?

I'm really inspired by Lil Buck (keeping with dance as athletic) because he is powerful in subtlety. He can make something technically difficult look effortless.

Where do you see opportunities for athletics/sport to evolve and transform?

I believe we put a lot of emphasis on the dominant culture to accept or acknowledge. What does our version of X look like? It looks like us playing a new tune and not relying on a version that was never built for widespread inclusion.

What article of clothing or way of presenting makes you feel powerful?

Good sneakers make me feel so powerful because I had a clubbed foot growing up and a host of other impairments with my disability. Shoes were always chosen for me. Being able to plant my feet in the earth with high tops or sandals is literally grounding. It equalizes my pathways.

How do you feel fashion can impact society?

Fashion notes abundance - how something can be made from varied parts, ingenuity, scrapping, dirty hands, and many hands. It assumes the product is also still evolving as it is interpreted. So fashion is telling wearers that they have access to the same ideas that it elicits - abundance, ingenuity, evolution, etc.

 

JOY RUN CREDITS

Director: Tourmaline

Starring #ChromatBABES: Andraya Yearwood, Terry Miller, Chase Strangio, Maya Margarita, maya finoh, Jerron Herman, Chella Man

Editor: Tiffany Burchard

Colorist: Marika Litz

Soundtrack: quest?onmarc

Sound Mixing: Issac Derfel

Producer: Becca McCharen-Tran

AD: Ariel Mahler

Still Photographer: Lia Clay

Director of Photography: Matt Harvey

Assistant Camera: Suzi Sadler

Grip: Tina Romero

Florals: Fleurotica

Makeup Sponsor: MAC Cosmetics

Makeup Artist: Fatima Thomas 

Makeup Assistant: Nadia Tayeh

Hair Stylist: Ursula Stephen

Hair Assistant: Gabbi Jeanne Hinton

Nails: Lady Fancy Nails and Soji Nails

Jewelry: Anna Kikue and Chris Habana

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For press inquiries, please email info@chromat.co