james-whitner
Social Status is looking to add another trophy to its mantle. The streetwear boutique, founded by James Whitner, has earned a 2023 Webby nomination for Playground/Recess—a short film that supported its Nike Air Penny collaboration. Directed by brothers Julien and Justen Turner, the coming-of-age project features comedic performances by Lou Young, Gavin White, Qasai Smalls, Jarius Jones, Josh Jones, and Evyn […]
The Social Status x Nike Air Max Penny 1 “Recess” launch took place last week and although the sneakers are currently out of stock, the Whitaker Group store will not only be giving people another chance to buy the collab, but will be offering customers the chance to help out the community with a unique release. […]
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week they’re joined by James Whitner of the Whitaker Group, the company behind sneaker stores A Ma Maniere and Social Status. Whitner brings along a never-before-seen Air Jordan 12 collaboration and talks about his stores’ rise, the realities of […]
Earlier this year, the Whitaker Group announced the return of its Free Game program by way of a special six-part series featuring the Black Community Business Advisory (BCBA). The Free Game series, as founder James Whitner detailed last year, is designed to help others be equipped in the art of avoiding business-related “potholes” and other obstacles. […]
Something feels a little different about this year’s top Air Jordans. Thus far, 2021’s Jordan releases have favored new spins on retros over the classic colorways that often dominate the hype. Collaborations continue to lead the way, while the popularity of brand-new styles and reissues of non-OG pairs signal something of a generational shift among […]
Despite his disadvantaged upbringing, James Whitner never suffered from a lack of confidence, which came in quite handy when he set out to open his first sneaker boutique now known as Social Status. The Pittsburgh native opened up about his streetwear journey in the latest episode of the Claima Stories podcast hosted by former Nike marketer Bimma Williams. Whitner recalled his dreams […]
The retail business is in a dismal place. Stores once considered institutions shuttered their doors permanently, and even the strongest companies have experienced financial struggles over the course of economic fallout associated with the current global health crisis. While big businesses struggle, small businesses face more challenging prospects for survival. This is especially true for […]
Protests denouncing police brutality against unarmed Black men and women are continuing across the country following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin this past Sunday. The latest in a seemingly endless list of these senseless murders has resulted in a variety of powerful demonstrations, such as NBA players refusing to play playoff games and Black […]
Parsons and Complex teamed up to create the Streetwear Essentials Course, which features five one-hour courses covering all you need to know about working in streetwear and launching a brand. We’ve tapped Parsons professors along with insiders like Jeff Staple, April Walker of Walker Wear, James Whitner of The Whitaker Group, Nick Diamond of Diamond Supply, […]
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne and Matt Welty. This week they’re joined by James Whitner, a veteran of the footwear industry, and owner of sneaker shops like Social Status, APB, Propser, and A Ma Maniere. They talk about the protests sweeping the nation, what the sneaker community can do […]
