How a teen sneaker designer from Brooklyn snagged a spot in the Oscar gift bag

nypost.com:

2023 Oscars.The teen says having her Lane 1 kicks offered up as congratulatory swag for A-listers such as Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh and Austin Butler is a dream come to true.“When I first found out my shoes were going to be gifts at the Oscars I actually didn’t know how to react,” Traynham-Artis told The Post with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Wait, is this actually happening?

Is this real life?,’” chuckled the seventh grader from Bed-Stuy. “It was so exciting.”AdvertisementHer mother, Kenesha Traynham-Cooper, first recognized the girl’s innate knack for making posh prints when she was just 3 years old.

As a hobby, the pair would often redecorate drab heels, flats and slingbacks into flashy showstoppers, adorning them with faux feathers, glitter and rhinestones.

And as Traynham-Artis matured, in both age and artistic skill, Traynham-Cooper began encouraging the creative to pursue her passion for design as a businesswoman.“I realized Amira-Dior had an eye for art and fashion,” the mother, an assembly district leader, told The Post. “It was important for me to nurture that gift.” So, one day in late 2021, she surprised her then-12-year-old with graphic design computer software and a peculiar question. “My mom randomly asked me if I wanted to make shoes, and I was like, ‘Sure,’” Traynham-Artis recalled. “At first I was just sitting in front of my laptop, and I really didn’t know what to do,” she continued. “But then, I started thinking about what kind of shoe I’d like to wear that’s not [already on the market] and different colors that I think are cool.” After a few hours of tinkering around on the computer, working to perfect the funky pizzazz of her first-ever high-tops, Traynham-Artis decided to launch Lane 1 — a name.