Jordan Brand Introduces Its Jordan Women’s Collective Class of 2023 for North America

Peter Verry
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Jordan Brand has announced its North America Jordan Women’s Collective class for 2023.

The latest group from the brand’s impact-driven initiative includes 11 women from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles who Jordan Brand said have “a proven track record of uplifting their peers — all with a great passion for both basketball and sneaker culture.

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From N.Y., the collective includes Bianca Richards (licensed esthetician and content creator), Elyse Cox (mental health activist), Jasmine Gonzalez (business strategist) and Shayla Diaz (creator of Shayz Dayz photography). The women from L.A. are Divina Corria (owner and designer of Divine Individual Jewelry), Amiraa Vee (fashion stylist and curator) and Christyna Pourhabib (writer, editor and author of “My First Pair”). And from Chicago, the collective includes Ashley Crowe (nail artist), Chelsea Billingsley (fashion designer), Ayanna Hardy-Fuller (architect and operations administration) and Melissa Co (podcaster, sales manager, photographer and community builder).

To foster “seamless integration and familial connectivity,” the 2022 class was asked to nominate members for 2023.

The new class of women were photographed by photographer and former professional dancer Djeneba Aduayom, who has worked with several female sports icons such as Serena Williams. Jordan Brand said this was Aduayom’s first-ever shoot with the company.

The New York women from the North America Jordan Women’s Collective class of 2023. - Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Brand
The New York women from the North America Jordan Women’s Collective class of 2023. - Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Brand

Courtesy of Jordan Brand

“The 2023 Jordan Women’s North America Collective represents the intentionality and will for progress that the Jordan Brand team leads with daily,” Tonia Jones, Jordan Brand global VP and GM of women’s, said in a statement. “These women are incredible additions to the global Jordan Women’s Collective, and I look forward to the ways our team will jointly partner with them to continue expanding the presence and advancement of women in this industry.”

Through this initiative, Jordan Brand said in a statement that it is “committed to fueling and sustaining the momentum women have been driving in basketball and sneaker culture.” To accomplish this, the company said it will amplify their contributions through storytelling, experiences and brand integrations, “while organically cultivating an ecosystem of women supporting women.”

The 2023 class, Jordan Brand said in a statement, will participate and co-create activities and experiences “that allow the city cohorts to bond directly and with the larger group, while becoming more fortified as leaders within their communities.”

The Los Angeles women from the North America Jordan Women’s Collective class of 2023. - Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Brand
The Los Angeles women from the North America Jordan Women’s Collective class of 2023. - Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Brand

Courtesy of Jordan Brand

What’s more, Jordan Brand said the women in the collective will also have access to members of the Jordan Brand and Nike family, such as Peloton instructor and ESPN College Game-day host Jess Sims.

“The Jordan Women’s Collective is so exciting to me because we’re able to see Black and brown women in major cities be able to show how important they are to basketball and sneaker culture in so many different ways,” Sims said in a statement. “I love that you don’t have to be an athlete to participate and change the culture around sports. The Collective is made up of so many different women who bring such unique backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives to the table. Women are such an important driving force towards positive change in the streetwear community, and I’m happy that Jordan continues to champion and support these women to help move the culture forward to become a more inclusive space for everyone.”

The collective will also have access to WNBA star Isabelle Harrison, WNBA icon Sheryl Swoopes and several others.

“I think it is so important because it allows women to have a voice in a very big, popular space that is primarily dominated by men, giving women an opportunity to not only have an impact on the sneaker game, but making a difference along the way,” Swoopes said in a statement.

Harrison added, “I think this initiative means there can be space for us in basketball & sneaker culture. For the longest, athleisure and sneakers belonged to the men and it never was considered that women may want to wear it. Having the Jordan Women’s Collective finally puts us first and gives us the opportunity to influence the culture.”

The Chicago women from the North America Jordan Women’s Collective class of 2023. - Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Brand
The Chicago women from the North America Jordan Women’s Collective class of 2023. - Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Brand

Courtesy of Jordan Brand

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