{"id":1064967,"date":"2022-06-03T12:23:54","date_gmt":"2022-06-03T17:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=1064967"},"modified":"2022-06-03T12:24:03","modified_gmt":"2022-06-03T17:24:03","slug":"a-timeline-of-teddy-santis-new-balance-takeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/a-timeline-of-teddy-santis-new-balance-takeover\/","title":{"rendered":"A Timeline of Teddy Santis\u2019 New Balance Takeover"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Born and bred in Queens, New York, Theodore \u201cTeddy\u201d Santis<\/a><\/strong> is an emblem of the American Dream. Teddy’s parents immigrated to the USA from Greece and taught Teddy how to forge a path of his own from the very beginning. Teddy would wake up at 6AM to work with his siblings and help his parents run their diner on 89th Street in NYC. These early mornings developed Santis’ work ethic and helped him to later launch his own streetwear label, Aim\u00e9 Leon Dore<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Initially Santis had plans to name the brand “Aim\u00e9,” meaning “Loved” in French. After being denied trademark rights to the word, Santis was forced to find a new name. Taking “Leon” from his father’s childhood nickname and “Dore” from the second-half of his first name, Santis was able to move forward with Aim\u00e9 Leon Dore<\/em>. Santis has said that Ralph Lauren serves as a big inspiration for ALD, which can be seen in the brand’s chic approach to streetwear. Yet the gritty and assertive nature of Queens still remains the biggest influence for ALD. In an interview with Ssense<\/a>, Santis describes his love for New York and explains how neighborhood basketball games have inspired ALD saying, “I grew up playing ball all my life. It\u2019s a huge part of our brand and my whole style. Pick-up ball in New York is like nowhere else in the world. It\u2019s its own society. As terrible as it sounds, if you show up to play ball in Queens looking like a dweeb, you\u2019re not going to play. I don\u2019t care how good you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Aim\u00e9 Leon Dore’s beginnings in 2014, Santis has established himself as a force within New York and men’s fashion at large. Despite not having a formal background in fashion or design, Santis has always been championed for his tasteful eye and gravitational pull towards poise. With Aim\u00e9 Leon Dore’s polished colors and refined aesthetics, it only makes sense that New Balance<\/a><\/strong> would approach Santis with an opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What started out as a collaborative series between Aim\u00e9 Leon Dore and New Balance has turned into a full blown partnership, with Teddy Santis being named the new Creative Director for the New Balance Made in USA<\/strong> line. This feels like a full circle moment for Santis as his humble beginnings have allowed him to take on one of the biggest brands in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u201cI was drawn to New Balance for the way it has built a business founded on values such as integrity and authenticity, rather than passing hype,\u201d said Santis. \u201cI see a tremendous opportunity to tell authentic stories with real people at the forefront, creating global campaigns that connect our core values with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With 2022 marking the start of Santis’ role as Creative Director of New Balance Made in USA, Snkrs Day breaks down the timeline of Teddy Santis’ New Balance takeover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n