Caleb Femi Captures The Patta and Converse's Limited Edition Campaign Starring Sam Akpro
Produced by Somesuch and directed by Caleb Femi, ‘Rain or Shine’ marks the latest collaboration between Patta and Converse. More than just weathering the elements — the campaign is guided by the ethos of the Patta mindset, emphasising a commitment to values and a journey defined by one's state of mind.
The campaign stars Sam Akpro, an up-and-coming musician. Hailing from Peckham, South London—home to many of the United Kingdom’s most iconic hip-hop artists—Sam defied expectations to become a prominent figure within the punk music scene, exhibiting the confidence to stand out and be himself regardless of what his environment expected from him. With Caleb, a celebrated photographer, director, and poetic voice who faced his own share of challenges whose work is unfiltered, celebrating resilience and confidence, both artists embody the “Rain or Shine” state of mind.
The Converse x Patta capsule leads with a functional execution of the newly announced low-top, Weapon Ox. Featuring an upper crafted with Cordura fabric—a durable material commonly applied to tactical and outdoor gear—and a rubber mudguard on a monochromatic black colourway, Patta has reinterpreted Converse’s court classic for a new opponent: the weather. The low-cut silhouette is finished with a D-ring top eyelets, a leather Star Chevron logo application, a custom woven label on the tongue, and custom sock liner art designed to match the collection’s apparel offerings.
Patta is also the first Converse partner to offer a collaborative take on the Chuck 70 Marquis—an elevated version of Converse’s icon that features three-piece sport mesh lining and CX foam cushioning for all-day comfort. Like the Weapon Ox, Patta reworked the silhouette with utilitarian-inspired modifications, including a multi-camo coloured upper comprised of Cordura fabric, D-ring eyelets, and a reflective Chuck Patch and Patta logo on the right foot to deliver a weather-ready footwear offering.
Caleb Femi is a writer, director, and photographer. He has directed TV episodes for INDUSTRY (HBO/BBC) and CHAMPION (NETFLIX/BBC) as well as numerous short films, including Giraffe, which was selected for the Sundance Film Festival. Caleb was a frequent collaborator of Virgil Abloh during the designer’s Louis Vuitton tenure, directing campaign films and most notably directing ‘SHOW 8’ (SS22), Virgil Abloh’s final runway show for Louis Vuitton.
Caleb has directed commercials and campaigns for other brands such as Bottega Veneta, Mulberry, Johnnie Walker, TikTok and NCS. Music videos are in Caleb’s catalogue too, ‘UBER RIDE’ for Jamilah Barry and ‘LAHAI’ a short film accompanying Sampha’s 2023 album of the same title. You’ll find Caleb’s photography published in Dazed magazine, Louis Vuitton’s Virgil Abloh’s coffee book, and within his award-winning debut book, POOR, which was published in 2020 by Penguin Random House, and won the Forward Prize for best first collection in 2021. This book was added to AQA’s English Literature GCSE syllabus in the UK in 2022.
