ALSO, SATURDAY - 11.7.26

11/13/26

Saturday, November 7, 2026 (NW, Washington, DC) - As a child, Saturday mornings were reserved for cartoons and cereal. Then, from pre-teens on, that time shifted to basketball.

I’ve never been a morning person, but once I got past being up early on a Saturday, they were some of my most cherished memories. The relationships that were built, the discipline it instilled, and being a part of a group, all in the pursuit of getting better at something you loved doing was pivotal - finding community where these things can be cultivated have always been a safe space for me. It’s started with basketball, then merged into music, sneakers, streetwear, nightlife, and art.

When the post for this appeared in my timeline, seeing the time, and that the homie, Abdul , was featured as a guest on the panel, I knew it was a conversation I wanted to be present for. And after being in the building for less than five minutes, I started to feel like my 13 year old self at basketball practice.

There was mad love in the building — I ran into a few of my DC homies, that introduced me to some new homies. Everyone in the space was welcoming, reflecting the ambiance. Hats off to our host, Pierre (@pierres.online), who constructed a wonderful afternoon of programming. The lighting throughout was perfect, the curation of the space was inviting, the music by DJ Jerome Baker III (@jeromebaker3rd) was the perfect accent to set the vibe.

The Panel, also led by our host, Pierre, featured the NYC sibling duo Genesis (@genesisvalleon) & Rafa Valleon (@rafavalleon), the minds behind the brand, Taller de Rafa (TDR) & Abdul Fouzi (@dontchargeabdul), native of the Baltimore & DC area, (by way of Sierra Leone), who is one of the top sneaker minds & connoisseurs in the culture. With the success of TDR’s new Nike Goadome collab, I was interested to hear their story and inspiration behind the collab, and their brand. With the boot so popular in both, NYC and DC, I felt like I was witnessing a perfect moment, where all was aligned.

The conversation was insightful and impactful. Hearing about their family being the main inspiration behind the brand, and how they used real people instead of actors in their nike commercial, to preserve the authenticity of their message, shows that you can collaborate with major brands while maintaining your integrity and independent vision.

Abdul definitely dropped some gems, as usual, including a story about how the Goadome was named.

It was a great talk!

The afternoon ended on a high, as all the guest mingled and exchanged contacts before parting ways. Definitely left feeling like I made some great connections and some new friends.

Thanks again to Pierre, and all involved in making the vision come to life. Put me on the list, I’m looking forward to the next!

Thank you to Genesis & Rafa for sharing your story and energy.

Shoutout to my bro, Olot, for taking the last picture! It perfectly summed up the afternoon!

And a shoutout to all the homies and new acquaintances that helped make it a memorable Saturday!

Follow @pierres.online & @alsocreative.co on IG for more programming like this.

Follow @tallerderafa on IG for news and updates on the brand.

1LoV3

✌🏽💛