Today we’d like to introduce you to Trey Johnson.
Hi Trey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Sneakers have always been a part of my life but I’d say things took a major turn for me in 2012. I started off restoring sneakers, my very first pair I restored were a personal pair of Aqua 8s which are my favorite Jordans of all time. I did that for a few years until it began to feel unfulfilled and started feeling more like another job I had to do. I remember at one point I literally had 15 pairs of Jordan 3s that all needed a midsole repainted that was the day I decided restoration wasn’t what I wanted to do with my talents lol. I took a break for a few years just to get my life together and in early 2017 I decided to try my hand creating customs. I tried a few different styles in an attempt to find my own lane so my first couple of customs were completely different from what I do today. It wasn’t until early 2019 was when I began working on the Air Force 1 silhouette for the first time. I knew I couldn’t call myself a customizer and not have don’t any work on one of the most classic sneakers of all time. I didn’t want to take typical approach and rely on paint or any of the current trends within the customs community I wanted to see if I could replicate this threaded bracelet that meant a lot to me. So I took a chance and tried my idea and taking that chance literally changed my life and on February 20th, 2019 I completed the very first threaded Air Force 1. Through all of it, I would say staying consistent when I was working and going what felt right in my heart when it came to my design choices is what kept me focused. The personal journey I’ve been on while carving out my path as Pastel P has taught me some of the most valuable life lessons and changed my perspective on life entirely.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say overall, my journey so far has been more enlightening than anything else. I can admit in the beginning, things like taking my Instagram off private and removing personal pictures and only posting my work was a really big deal to me. I consider myself a really private person and being accessible for potential clients or anyone who simply wanted to view my work used to give me so much anxiety because of the attention. It wasn’t until my 25th birthday I made a commitment to myself to give this art everything I had and lean into what truly made me happy. Working through these mental blocks alone changed me in ways I never thought I was capable of achieving. Because if my art, I can say with absolutely certainty I am a better man to myself and those I encounter daily now. I understand that in order to have any level of success, I couldn’t do it by doing only what I was comfortable with and anything worth having requires sacrifice.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Custom sneakers are currently my main focus with plans to expand into apparel and home decor soon. I’m most known for my work on the Air Force 1 silhouette particularly hand threading the Nike check. Although I’ve been doing customs for a little over five years now, I’ve been perfecting my hand threading for about 3 years. People also let me know they really appreciate my choices in color pallets and my use of pastel colors hence my art name. Pastel colors are important to me because I feel like they are the perfect representation of the amount of emotion I invest into my work since everything is done by hand. I take the less is more approach when I’m creating a design, I also like to respect the base sneaker I’m working on as well by using what’s already on the sneaker for a more cohesive final project. To date, I’m most proud of hosting a Nike sponsored Air Max 1 day workshop. Being chosen to host that event and being able to connect with the community face-to-face was something that will always hold a special place in my heart and career. I went from working on Nike products to hosting a Nike sponsored event was a dream come true it almost felt like the ultimate success and a dream come true. The thing I have going for me that sets me apart from everyone else in my field is the fact that I took the time to develop my own style you can only get from me. I appreciate trends but I don’t embrace them because I didn’t go through everything I went through just to copy someone else’s work I want to see what I can contribute to the craft.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey ironically was appreciating the journey and the lessons that accompany it. Success tends to mean something different to everyone and it’s especially easy to lose yourself chasing whatever success is to you. When it comes to art no matter what field you operate in you will truly never know when your time will come it could be that one design you do or that big opportunity you get. I never wanted to receive whatever my blessing was and not be in the right headspace to sustain it and give it the respect and appreciation it deserves. I didn’t work this hard for a moment I worked this hard to create the life for myself that at one point seemed impossible now I’m seeing it’s just within my reach I just have to keep going.
Pricing:
- Customers must provide the base sneaker because I do not charge a deposit upfront unless you’re out of state and I have to get your base sneaker personally
- Threaded outside checks only prices range from 120-150 for sizes under 7 and 220-240 for sizes 8 and up
- All 4 checks prices are 280 these prices include materials labor and return shipping as well
- No matter the amount of colors used on the shoe does not effect the price
- Custom with only paint prices start at 120
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Pastelpwashere
