“As we look to the future of our communities, our country and the world, from the White House to any house, we are all raised and led by women. This moment is for you, this journey is for you.” This quote graces the home page of A Ma Maniere Projects which is completely decked out with the brand’s upcoming Jordan collaboration which features the Air Jordan 3 “Raised by Women” sneaker and apparel. Set to release this week, A Ma Maniere x Air Jordan collection is one of the many notable women’s exclusive collaborations slated for this week along with Cardi B x Reebok and Aleali May x Jordan.
A Ma Maniere owner James Whitner is also the founder of the Whitaker Group, home to other various brands such as Social Status and APB Store to name a few. Under A Ma Maniere, the Air Jordan 3 “Raised by Women” will be Whitner’s first retro Air Jordan sneaker. Additionally like many of the Jordan brand’s collaborations, this particular joint sneaker told a story from the designer and founder’s personal life and experiences.
“Raised By Women” serves as the perfect title to the upcoming A Ma Maniere x Air Jordan 3 sneaker as Whitner recalls the Air Jordan 3 as the first Jordan sneaker his mother purchased for him and his brothers. The plan was always to tell a story about women, but the particular story concerning his mother and the Jordan 3 sneaker stuck out even more, making the shoe more personal than ever.
According to Whitner in his Complex interview, the Air Jordan 3 “Raised By Women” was designed as “sneaker for women that men would want to wear”. The sneaker appears in a White/Medium Grey/Violet Ore colorway, a simple and neutral colorway that allows for the shoe’s other elements to do the talking. The sneaker also features other subtle yet tasteful elements including luxe textures such as suede and leather on the upper and quilted satin gracing the interior’s lining. Not to mention, hidden messages can be found throughout. “All We Have Is Each Other” and “You Have to be Comfortable Walking Alone” graces the heel tabs of each shoe while “Work Harder” (a nod to a A Ma Maniere member Kev Chao) touches the aglets of the shoelaces. If the quote “make it simple but significant” was a sneaker, it would definitely be this Jordan 3 collaboration.
With such an emphasis on being made for women, A Ma Maniere made sure the rollout would serve the ladies first. Starting April 14th through April 18th, the brand held women’s early access raffle sign-ups for the sneaker. Female consumers were given the chance to schedule appointments at select store locations for A Ma Maniere, Social Status, and APB Store. Following the in-person appointment, women were selected at random to officially purchase the sneaker via email confirmation.
There was also a general raffle held which ended on April 18th and was open to all consumers where no in-store appointment was required. Winners for both the women’s early access and general raffle are still being announced and will continue up until the official release date. If you missed those raffle opportunities, the official launch of the A Ma Maniere x Air Jordan collection will be going down on Wednesday, April 21st at 12PM EST on amamaniere.com while supplies last. The women’s Air Jordan 3 sneaker will retail for $200 and will resale for $1,000+.
Update 04/21: The A Ma Maniere x Air Jordan 3 has been rescheduled to release on Wednesday, April 28th at 12PM EST. In an effort to not overshadow George Floyd trial’s verdict with sneakers, owner James Whitner decided to push back the shoe’s releases date and dedicate this day to reflection and support within the Black community.