The legendary streetwear brand, Leaders 1354, will be the spotlight for the upcoming docuseries, Lead Never Follow.
Joshua Johnson, who originally developed the concept for the series, is slated to direct and executive produce, along with Dometi Pongo, Troy Pryor, and Leaders’ founder, Corey Gilkey.
“I had to convince Corey to get on board,” said Johnson. “Corey is typically a reserved individual, but after showing him the deck outlining the story, he fully committed. Entrusting me with his life’s work of influencing artists, fashion, music, the City of Chicago, and beyond for decades, was a true honor. I’m privileged to bring this rich Chicago history to life.”
While competing in college as a baseball player, Gilkey’s dreams of seeing the big leagues vanished after learning that being Black and drafted came with challenges. Gilkey returned to the southside of Chicago and realized he needed to pave his own way. Since then, he has built Leaders 1354, one of the most influential brands in urban culture. He re-opened the store last week to a host of fans and supporters.
Leaders 1354 was the pioneer in carrying Pharrell BBC, and to this day, remains among a select few boutique retailers with enduring partnerships with major brands. To demonstrate the remarkable influence of Leaders on culture, they have recently completed a two-shoe design collaboration with the greatest basketball shooter of all time, Stephen Curry.
The docuseries cast includes Raekwon from Wu-Tang, DJ Clark Kent, Common, Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa, Vic Lloyd, Diego Ross, Fashion Geek Zo, Joe Fresh Good, Dave Jeff, J.Ivy, Shan, Ellen Ma and many more.
“Lead Never Follow is a family motto,” says Johnson. “If you shop there, or just come to hang out, you understand the mission and wear it with pride. It’s time for the legends to receive their recognition, and for the world to acknowledge their contributions to the culture.”
Troy Pryor, founder of Creative Cypher and the XL Film Fest, was brought into the docuseries project to help bring the vision to life. Pryor has flown under the radar for several years as a force of alignment on multiple Chicago creative projects.
“I’m a huge fan of what Corey built,” says Pryor. “It’s no small feat and his story can be an inspiration for so many other entrepreneurs, especially from my hometown, Chicago. These are the types of stories Creative Cypher wants to uplift.”
Chicago native, Dometi Pongo, is a rising producer, host and storyteller at MTV, known for hosting the critically acclaimed docuseries True Life Crime. The premiere episode, Tragic Accident or Calculated Murder?, covered a high profile case in Chicago. He is also lauded for his award-winning reporting for properties across Paramount including the Smithsonian Channel where he helmed a docuseries covering art, hip hop history and social justice movements.
“I was thrilled to join this groundbreaking project with Leaders 1354, a cultural icon from my youth — long before I knew I’d ever have the privilege of helping to tell this story,” says Pongo. “Their story embodies Chicago’s influence on culture even beyond streetwear, helping to launch major figures in fashion and music like Virgil Abloh who would go on to become Louis Vuitton’s first Black artistic director. He’s just one of many global change agents whose story begins with the legendary LDRS brand. It’s an inspiring tale for Black and Brown creatives and entrepreneurs who refuse to be defined by the challenges they have to surmount. Humbled to be a part.”
Here’s a teaser trailer for Lead Never Follow. To learn more about the future series, visit here.
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