Ever since its first Jordan Brand collaboration in the spring of 2021—an ultra-clean spin on the Air Jordan 3—the Washington, DC-based sneaker boutique A Ma Maniére has been a brand to watch. Part of the Whitaker Group (which also includes stores like the esteemed Social Status), AMM has prioritized strong storytelling and design perspective across a grip of standout takes on classic Air Jordans and a selection of killer Nike collabs. A penchant for quilted linings, rich shades of violet and maroon, and creamy neutrals have made Maniére joints some of the most coveted among sneakerheads over the last few years. There’s also a big-picture focus on social awareness backed up with tangible action; for the brand’s Air Jordan 4 collab in 2022, they gave priority access to buyers who could prove they were registered to vote in that year’s midterm election.
As the brand’s relationship with Nike and Jordan Brand has grown, it has all but cemented itself as one of the current era’s signature Swoosh collaborators. This month, that status is made official in a big way with the release of the While You Were Sleeping collection, celebrating a decade since the brand’s first Nike sneaker. Spanning six pairs across three brands (Nike, Jordan, and Converse), the collection’s first drop is another stunner of an Air Jordan 3. This one trades the simple white upper of the first collaboration for a jet black leather accented with buttery gray and a deep violet tongue and quilted inner lining. Throw in an off-white sole and you’ve got a sneaker that draws together all of the signature flourishes you’d expect from A Ma Maniére.
The collection doesn’t stop there, though. Over the next few weeks we’ll also be seeing a beige Air Jordan 4 and speckled violet Air Jordan 39 hit shelves alongside a new Air Force 1 and the brand’s first take on an Air Max model in the Air Max 95. The whole thing is capped off with Maniére’s first-ever Converse linkup, a take on the Weapon Low silhouette.
There are collections and there are coronations. This is the latter. While You Were Sleeping is the largest Nike collaboration since Off-White’s now-legendary The Ten. Virgil Abloh’s instantly-recognizable deconstructions of some of Nike’s most iconic silhouettes upended the sneaker world and instantly defined the culture of the moment when it began back in 2017. Since his passing, there’s been a void in need of filling. Abloh’s work is irreplaceable, but in its absence Nike has needed the sort of big-name collaborator that commands the attention of the culture and signifies the direction in which it’s moving. Given the way Maniére’s collaborations with Nike have captured the zeitgeist for years now, it makes sense they’re taking their relationship to the next level with the While You Were Sleeping launch.
