London is a city that sparks collaboration. It’s a place where you could easily have a chance encounter with a rapper or fashion designer in, say, your local laundrette. Taking inspiration from these types of creative meeting of minds as well as the Black British experience, Nike and Patta are behind a new four-part film series called The Wave, directed by Mahaneela, and with creative input from Steve McQueen’s Lammas Park production house.

The first chapter in the series, “Waves Not Cycles”, sees narration and cameos from Little Simz, Skepta, as well as tailoring luminary Ozwald Boateng. The short film follows Abdul, an amateur photographer with a humdrum day job, eager to live out his dreams and be part of the next wave of culture.

It’s in honour of a new reimagining of the Air Max 1 from the two streetwear powerhouses who are no strangers to a collab, having first partnered in 2008. Reuniting for their fifth, “Monarch” reinterpretation of the shoe, the latest iteration utilises the much-loved silhouette, while adding a twist through a new wave pattern and mini Swoosh on the mudguard, while Patta’s logo appears on the tongue and sock liner.

Forging diverse and inclusive spaces for young future leaders is central to what Patta, the Black-owned Dutch brand, does. Championing the pillars of “freedom, creativity, and truth”, it has set up the Patta Running Team, a club that puts motivation – and, most importantly – fun, at the centre of what it does, as well as the Patta Foundation, which was founded to support young entrepreneurs and create the next gen of role models.

Mahaneela is a multi-disciplinary whose film and photography portfolio includes FKA twigs and Kojey Radical, and her work is informed by her roots in Ghana, India, and Jamaica. Her work, she says, “has always been about finding ways to show love to people that look like me. Patta are a great example of how creativity can manifest into authentic relationships and give back to the people and places we are from. For many young Black and Brown filmmakers, Steve McQueen and his legacy have been somewhat of a north star for us. To be able to collaborate with him on this project, which for me is a love letter to my fellow creatives of colour, has been unforgettable.”

“I’m proud to be working with Nike and Patta, a Black-owned company who have always been about supporting interesting Black talent, in bringing new emerging voices like Mahaneela to the broader wider public for this exciting collaboration,” adds McQueen.

To shop the Nike x Patta Air Max 1, visit SNKRS, Patta online, and Patta stores from October 8; select retailers to follow from October 15. 

Watch “Waves Not Cycles” below.