Jack Daniel’s Classic Remix is back for its third year. Established in 2021, the grant-based initiative aims to support and spotlight the next generation of streetwear designers, signifying the brand’s commitment to arts and culture. Jack Daniel’s Classic Remix tapped Creative Director and founder of TIER, Nigeria Ealey, to bridge the world of streetwear with accessories via a collaboration with jewelry designer Kristopher Kites. 100% of the featured designers’ sales from this collection will be matched by Jack Daniel’s, up to $100,000 to fund the program. The duo created five unique pieces imbued with the essence of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and Tennessee Apple whiskeys. Their respective design processes are captured in vignette-style moodboards, providing behind-the-scenes snapshots of their creative workspaces, sketches and original ideation.
“Jack Daniel’s Classic Remix is back for its third year.”
Nigeria Ealey is a designer, artist and the Creative Director behind TIER, a Brooklyn-based clothing company specializing in elevated streetwear for men, women and children. Following the company’s eight-year inception, the line is quickly gaining momentum for its reimagined silhouettes and high-quality craftsmanship. Jack Daniel’s Classic Remix tapped the designer to create apparel capturing Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and Apple’s sweet, bold and warming essence in a wearable format.
“For us, it’s bigger than just making clothes; it’s also the experience people get outside of the product — the story behind it.”
“Tier x Jack Daniel’s Apple” Space Jacket sample
The resulting capsule presents sporty men’s and women’s jackets and jogger sets. “TIER means to just have different levels and structures — to be able to move forward and elevate yourself,” says Ealey. The brand demonstrates this by exploring facets of high and low fashion — everything from ready-to-wear to leisurewear. “I never dress for just one version of myself. The whole point is creating garments that have a natural sense of versatility.”
Fashion is ever-changing, the fabric for which individuals redefine and reimagine who they are and who they wish to become. For Ealey, fashion is a visual language largely influenced by his background in graphic design. Working alongside co-founders Esaï Jean Simon and Victor James, TIER provides a space to reinterpret the bounds of streetwear as a reflection of community, isolating cultural moments in time. “I think the most empowering thing about fashion is being able to share your experiences."
“I think through garments, through accessories, through materials — being able to share your story and just share your different life experiences through the work that you do is super valuable and important.”
Ealey’s Jack Daniel’s Classic Remix jackets and jogger sets are served up neat in monochromatic green and honey colorways, embellished with elements distinctive of TIER’s sartorial style. A designated “T” motif adorns the jacket’s front panel while slanted front pockets and micro velcro details are applied to the zipper closure and cuffs. Highlights of the jogger include 3-D cargo pockets on both legs and an additional utility pocket adorning the lower left panel, with slanted velcro zippers at the waist as a finishing touch. Its relaxed fit comes courtesy of a ribbed, elastic waistband with metal-tipped drawstrings.
“I think the most empowering thing about fashion is being able to share your experiences.”
“Jack Apple Sweatpants” gradient dyed by hand
TIER’s sensibility harkens back to the founders’ college days while studying at Brooklyn’s Long Island University. Dismantling this uniform per se, TIER’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection fused collegiate-style silhouettes with edgy, utility-centric elements. “In this collection, we really created a whole new university and syllabus for what that looks like,” says Ealey. “We broke it down to four different schools: the School of Awareness, the School of Art and Design, the School of Generational Wealth and the School of Tech and Innovation. These are pillars that I feel should be highlighted or spoken about more in school.” In this sense, the cool kids have graduated, emboldening the next generation to break the mold. The brand aspires to serve as an incubator for emerging creatives through its Art Never Dies Foundation and Artrepreneur Festival, originally launched in 2018 and slated to return this year. “The Art Never Dies foundation provides up-and-coming talents in the arts with resources, funding and programming,” explains Ealey. “With the Artrepreneur Festival, we try to create areas of access for emerging talents — we connect aspiring artists with established creators who are already excelling in the space.”
I’m really proud of that because a lot of people have made connections and fostered new relationships through this festival.”
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Jack Daniel’s Classic Remix Collection is back for its third year. Established in 2021, the grant-based initiative aims to support and spotlight the next generation of streetwear designers, signifying the brand’s commitment to arts and culture. Jack Daniel’s Classic Remix tapped Creative Director and founder of TIER, Nigeria Ealey, to bridge the world of streetwear with accessories via a collaboration with jewelry designer Kristopher Kites. 100% of the featured designers’ sales from this collection will be matched by Jack Daniel’s and shared amongst the grant winners, up to $100,000 to fund the program. The duo created five unique pieces imbued with the essence of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and Tennessee Apple spirits. Their respective design processes are captured in vignette-style moodboards, providing behind-the-scenes snapshots of their creative workspaces, sketches and original ideation.
Kristopher Kites is not your typical jewelry designer. From a young age, the twenty-four-year-old, Chicago-based artist grew up fascinated by pop culture, later embedding his fandom collections into wearable art. After producing an underwater shoot for his first collection, it was a Vogue placement written by Brooke Bobb that put him on the map. Kites keeps his business close to home, primarily working from his studio in Chicago and marketing his collections on Instagram. With no formal training, Kites has managed to build an impressive following through his whimsical designs.
“I feel like my work gives them an extended life — they go from being an action figure, to the grave, to back on your neck, where you can display this piece of art. "
For the Jack Daniel’s Classic Remix collection, Kites presents his take on a Cuban link chain. Its bold, chunky silhouette is made from a lucite material, first sculpted by hand and later developed in-factory. Sometimes the links are forged by a 3-D printer; other times, Kites implements a self-made compound to achieve crystal-clear renderings of each link. This time around, the reworked chain is charged with iridescent green and honey-colored tones, brought together by a quick link closure system adorned with Jack Daniel’s branding. “I’m always learning and conceptualizing with my hands. Every piece starts by hand, and once I know what I’m going for, then things start to trickle down on the manufacturing side,” Kites explains.
“Kristopher Kites x Jack Daniel’s Honey Bee Green Apple Sketch
“Kristopher Kites x Jack Daniel’s Honey Bee Green Apple Iridescent Necklace
Those familiar with Kites’ work know he often incorporates nostalgic pastimes and graphic iconography into his designs. If you are what you wear, then Kites’ distinct style renders him young-at-heart, forever inspired by eccentric characters who refuse to grow old. Some may call it camp, but from a fashion perspective, Kites’ pieces largely reinterpret the iced-out chains of hip-hop and sports’ elite. “That was one large thing that inspired me — the beauty of those pieces, but also, the [person] that
“That was one large thing that inspired me — the beauty of those pieces, but also, the kid that can’t afford it."
can’t afford it. I wanted to really give [people] something to wear that emulates that same stance,” says Kites. Diamonds and jewels are swapped out for larger-than-life figurines and bubbly formations — infusing the entertainment of a collectible into a wearable format. One chain alone can empower the sheepish nerd-at-day and hero-at-night looking to escape, but for Kites, it’s all about making fashion more accessible and injecting humor and fun back into the scene.
Over the years, Kites has expanded his catalog with limited-edition T-shirts and rugs. In his natural element, the artist embraces a fluid, everything-goes mentality, fostering unbridled creativity as he carves out a distinguished niche within the fashion space. Jewelry is a mere facet in his ever-expanding world. In the coming months, Kites plans to open an experiential pop-up space at the Water Tower Place located in downtown Chicago. Coined the Kites Diner, the space will feature full merch releases, artwork and the first-ever Kites popsicle — an edible rendering of the artist’s candy-like creations. Accompanying its launch, the self-taught guitarist produced a mixtape inspired by the fruit-flavored popsicles, which he plans to release in the coming weeks. “I think my pieces are conversation starters. People from all walks of life start wearing my pieces, and other people light up because of them — on social media or on the streets,” Kites mentions. This social exchange feels integral to his creation process, and with the launch of his diner, Kites aims to create a cultural hub where people can foster similar connections. “You know how they say it takes a village to raise a child — it takes a village to raise an idea.”
