Charli XCX has always had a knack for turning chaos into culture. From her unapologetic pop anthems to her experimental visuals, she thrives in the in-between spaces—raw, glamorous, unruly, and deeply magnetic. Now, she’s taking that same spirit to one of fashion’s most enduring staples: the Converse Chuck Taylor.
In her new collaboration with the brand, Charli transforms the iconic sneaker into a living, wearable extension of her Brat era. It’s not just footwear; it’s a manifesto in canvas and rubber, dripping with glitch-glam attitude and rebellious detail. Through Converse’s “By You” customization platform, fans can step into Charli’s world and make the Chucks their own—messy, bold, and unmistakably personal.
Brat, But Make It Sneakers
At its core, this drop feels like a direct visual echo of Charli’s chart-scorching album Brat, which has already cemented itself as a cultural touchstone of 2025. The shoes mirror the album’s sonic palette: dirty soles, washed-out laces, and a range of shades that feel both nostalgic and forward-thinking.
The colors are more than aesthetic choices; they’re moodboards in themselves. Winter Sky captures the hazy blue of 3 a.m. afterparties. Brown Rice grounds the collection in something earthy and lived-in. And, of course, the Brat signature black-and-white contrast—sharp, stark, and unflinchingly bold—reminds us that Charli has never been afraid to embrace extremes.
Details That Sing
Every pair of these sneakers comes loaded with personal touches, like Easter eggs hidden in plain sight. Tiny charms shaped like padlocks and keys nod to secrecy and self-expression, embossed with the word “Brat” as if scrawled from Charli’s own notebook. Soles scream “Party Girl,” a rallying cry for the restless nights and endless dance floors her music conjures.
There are patches stamped with “XCX,” “angel,” and “365”—symbols that read like fragments of Charli’s mythology. Put together, they turn the Chuck into something more than a shoe: they’re wearable pop poetry, artifacts of a cultural moment, laced up and ready to move.
A Petra Collins Fever Dream
The campaign imagery, shot by Petra Collins, takes the sneakers into another realm altogether. Known for her dreamy, surreal approach to photography, Collins renders Charli not just as a pop star, but as a living embodiment of the Brat aesthetic.
In one frame, Charli crawls across a bed of sparks, the light catching on the metallic details of her Chucks. In another, she’s crouched low in rolling mist, half-angel, half-apparition. Then there’s the beachside scene, where she glows against a moonlit horizon—ethereal yet still grounded in the grit of the everyday.
The visuals are contradictions, much like Charli herself: fierce but playful, dreamy yet raw, iconic while still deeply human. It’s a campaign that doesn’t just sell sneakers—it pulls you into a fever dream where every scuff and sparkle tells a story.
For Angels, For Sneakerheads, For Everyone
What makes this collaboration compelling is its universality through individuality. For Charli’s hardcore fans—the self-proclaimed Angels—it’s an invitation to step directly into the Brat world they’ve been soundtracking their lives with. Every lace, charm, and patch is a piece of her, a way to carry the music beyond headphones and into the streets.
But it’s not limited to fan culture. For sneaker lovers, the Chuck Taylor remains a canvas for reinvention, and this collection adds a layer of narrative depth rarely seen in footwear. It’s not just about owning a cool pair of kicks; it’s about wearing a cultural collaboration that fuses music, fashion, and art in one object.
More Than a Drop
What Charli and Converse have created here is more than a product. It’s a moment in time, a crystallization of the Brat aesthetic into something tactile and customizable. The “By You” platform makes every pair unique, blurring the line between fan and artist, creator and consumer.
In true Charli fashion, the sneakers refuse to fit neatly into a box. They’re not polished or pristine. They’re designed to be lived in, danced in, scuffed up, and loved hard. The dirtier the sole, the more authentic the story.
Final Thoughts
Charli XCX’s Converse collaboration isn’t just a crossover between music and fashion—it’s a declaration of what pop culture looks like when it stops trying to be perfect. It’s messy, it’s loud, it’s endlessly customizable. It’s a pair of sneakers that doesn’t just sit in your closet but carries you through your own Brat era, however that looks.
Whether you’re an Angel, a sneaker obsessive, or just someone craving a little more attitude in your step, this collection delivers. It’s Charli distilled into canvas and rubber: chaotic, glamorous, and full of life.
The Chuck Taylor has been reinvented countless times. But this time? It’s Brat, and it’s unforgettable.
