Carson native and Gardena High School Alum Nicolle Lenoir Knight, also known as “Katty Customs,” has been blessed with the opportunity to partner with Cricket Wireless this back-to-school season.
As part of a nationwide sneaker design contest hosted by Cricket called “Kick it with Cricket,” over 3,000 people submitted sneaker designs for a chance to win custom shoes from a top sneaker artist, a $1,000 prize, and a new phone.
Within their submission, designers nominated a deserving educator (including teachers, coaches, or counselors) making a difference in their community to receive a $1,000 prize and a new phone to start the school year off on the right foot.
Five winners and their nominated educators will be announced this month. From there, each winner will be paired with a top sneaker artist like Knight to bring their sneaker design to life. Knight is very honored to be able to work with Cricket Wireless, she commented in a recent interview.
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“It’s been a pleasure to be honest, just to be able to give back and do something for the community,” Knight said. “Working with Cricket Wireless, they are a reputable company and I was just happy they even reached out to me to collaborate with them. I’m glad that I had the opportunity just to give back and show love.”
Knight is a well-recognized designer within the sneaker community, she runs a store that offers custom shoe designs. She is known for her artistic style, which has attracted many clients, including Ice Cube, and Styles P.
Her designs are featured globally through her partnerships with companies like Microsoft, Adidas, and Puma. Knight also co-hosts the show “Fresh Pair” with Grammy award-winner Just Blaze. The show highlights celebrity life stories told through custom sneaker designs.
Knight began painting and customizing shoes at the age of five and earned her first job in the industry at 19.
Knight worked for L.A. native and artist Mike Norris who had a shop on Melrose. Norris customized clothing and shoes for top celebrities and Knight was impressed by his work.
She consistently asked him for a job until he finally said yes. Working with him, Knight learned how to customize sneakers, inspiring her to turn designs into wearable art. The creativity of Norris motivated Knight to start her own journey in fashion and she has not looked back since.
Being from Los Angeles greatly influences how she designs different sneakers.
“Our whole culture. I mean definitely being outside, looking at different colors, and looking at the sky. Just anything inspires me to create,” Knight said. “I love colors and pretty much if I go outside and I see something I want to create. I could be driving by a billboard or see something with a cool color I can just create from that.”
Knight recommends that those coming behind her have confidence in themselves and chase their dreams.
“I just want them to follow their dreams. God gave them that vision for a reason and don’t give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give it up on your dream, and then you will never see any progress,” Knight said. “Just keep going, because you have to love what you do to keep going no matter how much you get paid for it or no matter what opportunities come from it. Keep going and God will take care of the rest.”
