THE STORY BEHIND LA RENOWNED SNEAKER STORE : UNION x FRAGMENT AIR JORDAN 1 RELEASE

Posted bysuavecartelmediaPosted inEDITOR'S PICK, FASHION GANG
Image courtesy of Union.

Founded in 1989 on Spring Street, NYC by James Jebbia, Mary Ann Fusco, and Eddie Cruz, Union is one of streetwear’s original pioneers. Expanding to Los Angeles in 1991, it became a cultural hub for rare imports and underground style. Now led by Chris Gibbs, Union cemented its legacy through landmark collaborations with Nike and Jordan.

Back in the early LA days, the store was known as “Stüssy Union,” before Eddie Cruz later partnered with James Bond to launch UNDEFEATED.

Image courtesy of Union
Image courtesy of Union

Union’s iconic “Frontman” logo, often mistaken for a skater mid-flip, was designed by Korean-American designer Sung Choi. It actually depicts Sidney Poitier as Walter Lee Younger from A Raisin in the Sun, the seminal 1959 Broadway play and film.

Image via Facebook
Image courtesy of Hiroshi Fujiwara
Image courtesy of r/sneakers
Image courtesy of The Drop Date
Image courtesy of Kinstorestyle

This month, sneakerheads are anticipating the Union × Jordan × Fragment Air Jordan 1, releasing February 7, 2026 via @undefeatedinc (New York), @_headquarter (Mexico City), @fragmentdesign_official (Tokyo), @starcowparis (Paris), and @kasina_official (Seoul).

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