the hype. You’re working, you’re doing your thing, and you want the world to see it, but, at least for me, it doesn’t seem like that’s always the main goal. Chicago is more about the work and less about putting your face out there and being the person in front of the work. Notre: When it comes to the work with Jordan Brand on the 8x8 project, how did that whole relationship come about? Cody: I’ve worked with Nike quite a bit in the past, but this is the first time I’ve worked with Jordan. This one was really exciting, obviously, because of the connection Jordan has to Chicago. Notre: In terms of the collection itself, and the look of it, how did you approach it? What were you trying to bring to it? Cody: I was thinking about this whole “Unite” campaign, uniting the city, all these train lines coming together at all these different locations throughout the city. I started thinking on that and cutting up paper shapes. I wanted to keep it abstract, but also resonate with Chicago. The stars and some of the stripe-like elements feel like deconstructed elements from the Chicago flag, but then also can represent landscape-style elements. I like when people can look at something and bring their own thoughts to it instead of me saying, “Well, this is exactly what this means.” So, in my head, there’s little bits and pieces there that all connect, but someone else will look at it and bring something totally different to it. I’m excited about seeing what it means to other people. And then the big message, “All One.” That’s a combination of a couple different references, the hippie feeling of “All One Or None” meeting more of a “One Love” hip-hop mentality, and trying to bring this whole city together with one of the stars in between a heart. Notre: You’ve described yourself before as a “professional amateur.” What does that mean? Cody: Everyone is so different in how they work. I’ve been around, doing everything for a long time, but I’m still figuring out what that even is—coming to the studio every day and thinking, “What am I going to do today? Am I going to make a sculpture? Make a painting? Or design an album cover, or a poster, or paint a mural, or just make some doodles?” It’s a low-key setup, but one that can generate almost anything. So, it’s professional in the sense that this is how I’ve been making a living for the last 20 years, but at the same time, I still sometimes question if it’s even a real business. It’s just me, sitting in the studio, kind of doing whatever I want, and somehow that’s actually turned into my job. Which is pretty wild to think about. Notre: Given the whole “Unite” nature of the 8x8 project, is there anyone in Chicago, whether it’s another designer, or an artist, or a restaurant, that you really love and want to shout out? Cody: So much good food here—Lula Cafe is my neighborhood favorite for sure. I have a soft spot for a Manny’s pastrami sandwich. Artists like Kerry James Marshall, Jose Lerma, Ryan Travis Christian, Gladys Nilsson, Karl Wirsum, Judy Ledgerwood, Nick Cave, Anna Kunz, Stephen Eichhorn, Alice Tippit, Robert Burnier, and Sonnenzimmer, to name a few, make this a good city to be in. So much good design, as well, with people like Bill Connors, Other Studio, Drew Ryan, Normal Studio, and Chuck Anderson doing good work. I could keep going with this list for days, so I think it just shows Chicago is a pretty great place to be right now.
Jordan’s 8x8 collection is a celebration of what makes Chicago special: eight train routes, eight collaborators that rep the city in their own way. Each participant has worked with Jordan to design a capsule collection of apparel, footwear, or both, using the colors of the CTA routes as inspiration. Releasing between now and NBA All-Star Weekend, the theme of the 8x8 project is “Unite”—bringing the city together, like train lines meeting at the Loop. Participants in the program are: Cody Hudson; streetwear shop Succezz; Drew the Barber of No Cuts, No Glory; fashion designer Sheila Rashid; students from the WINGS Design Program; music platform Lyrical Lemonade; Chance the Rapper’s SocialWorks; and Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White and artistic director of Louis Vuitton.
