All images: Foot Locker/Foot Locker Women

MEET SOPHIA CHANG. ILLUSTRATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE. DESIGNER. DOT CONNECTOR. LABEL REMOVER. QUEENS REPRESENTIN’.

Within our CNKDaily Chick Chat Series, we not only aim to highlight dope women in and around the sneaker game, but we’re all about connecting the dots. The experiences build the relationships and help our audience see the world from a different lens with each feature. While we pride ourselves on empowering the next woman, it’s important to hear from a voice who wants to create safe spaces for ladies while also pointing out the importance of diving in and navigating in a male-dominated space.

You may know Sophia Chang from the social media streets (AKA @esymai), but this artist with the flawless bun does more than illustration. She has built a life on what she’s known all around her. Telling stories about growing up in Queens, New York while tying her journey into her public speaking gives off the attribute of what we ask for: Authenticity. A street culture lifestyle that’s on trend to some, has been the roots for others like Sophia.

Foot Locker Women invited Sophia out in collaboration with the Skillshare platform to teach a class geared towards the transition that young people make from school to career. While it can be rocky, Sophia has a organic way of speaking to the crowd - almost like a Millennial Whisperer. We got the opportunity to vibe with her shortly before the Back to School class took off. Check out her insight below. Disclaimer: Gems were dropped.

CLASS IS IN SESSION…

This whole concept came into fruition when Foot Locker Women came to me about a back to school event. I have taught a number of online classes with Skillshare as a platform, plus in recent years I have been speaking in different spaces talking about my career, my work, and a bunch of different things. It’s great, it’s really cool. It was really inspiring for this specific event because I had this idea. If I was to talk in this space to young women, it’s back to school season, and I’m thinking about my transition as a student going into my career and everything that worked for me that I already talk about in my public speaking. Packaging it in such a way for today’s audience was key.

WE COULD ALL USE A BLUEPRINT.

Younger women who are already being bombarded with body image issues, empowerment issues, all these things that are bombarding us with how we should feel, what we should stand for, or where we should be… The biggest thing I know since the birth of social media is that we wake up and see all these amazing successful people and where they are at, and all the great things they are doing because we’re supposed to project the best version of ourselves. A lot of times you don’t know how to get there from where you’re at right now.

Seeing how to go from Point A where you’re starting at to Point Z (like “I want to be the president of the United States” which are amazing aspirations) but its like how do we get there? I think there’s been a really big disconnect in recent years with the boom of social media that we just don’t know where to start. I think it’s really frustrating and overwhelming. I’ve definitely had some time in my personal life to reflect on what worked for me and I wanted to take this opportunity to build on that. Working in all these spaces allows me to understand outside perspectives and be able to speak to that.

SOPHIA ON HER OWN PERSONAL STYLE… DRESS THE PART.

Being in this metropolitan city, I’m typically running around and have to dress according to what I might be doing that day. So I might be working on the go if I can get WI-FI, take a couple work meetings, go to the gym with my friends, eat some food, and maybe go to a museum. I really have to dress strategically and presentable in all these spaces and also functional! Right now, I have these sports leggings that work with this casual top. Most of the time I have sneakers on, and 97s are my favorite. Shoes in my size are actually hard to find so that’s another reason I wear sneakers.

SHOP FEATURED BACK TO SCHOOL STYLES BELOW

CONNECTING TO THE CULTURE…

Streetwear and sneakers as a whole became buckets in my life in terms of labels, very recently. I was born and raised in Queens, New York and been here pretty much my whole life. It was until recently that street culture is labeled (as that). Because back then it was lifestyle, like this is how we dressed. It was a melting pot of different cultures, especially in Queens. We listened to a certain type of music and we dressed a certain way. We wore the shoes this way and tied them this way because this is the style and how we take it to the streets. It’s interesting to see how a lot of brands are capitalizing on this culture.

I think there’s a lot of great opportunity there, and in recent years I’ve worked in more advertising marketing and strategy aside from my creative work. It’s given me some insights while putting me in this great place to stand between business and consumer (and branded community), essentially to connect these dots. A lot of times at these corporate companies, they sit behind desks and in these meetings all day. Then they are googling people on Instagram to see who’s the next big influencer who will give them the metric they should be working with versus working with someone like myself who is on the streets and in the culture. Live it, talk it, work it - the whole nine - while being able to connect with these brands to create a more authentic message. Being able to come from that place comes from the work that I put in.

PUSHING PAST THE GREAT DIVIDE…

I don’t always put myself in female-only spaces because I feel like that limits our communities conversation. Granted there are safe spaces that are necessary for women to gather together to talk about our own experiences that are specific to us. The more we divide the conversations, the more people are cast out and kept away from these conversations, there will be a lack of understanding. I aim to pull everyone together as much as I can to address everything. Less about being a female and less about color of your skin or even financial situation. Instead of looking at barriers of why we can’t, look past that at all the reasons why we can… and work around it. I shouldn’t have to support you just because you’re Asian or just because you’re a female. I want to respect you for your work and what you bring to the table.

SOPHIA ON WHAT “SNEAKHER” CULTURE MEANS TO HER…

I think there’s a lot of great things happening in the market today. Obviously even being inside Foot Locker, you can see how much the women’s space has grown exponentially. Being able to offer a wide variety of styles, where as maybe a couple of decades ago it was a little more limiting. I think a big part of that is that the market is really speaking, and the consumer is speaking, which is one thing I’m always pressing on. If you want to see a change you have to be willing.

With social media you can really share your thoughts. For example, more brands running full size runs, so someone like me can actually get sneakers. They are starting to really recognize the female consumer. I’m so excited for that because I believe that’s just the beginning to so many more things that will be changing.

Catch more with Sophia Chang on her Instagram and her Website.

Interview has been edited and condensed for content.

Chick Chat: Breaking Barriers with Sophia Chang