Salehe Bembury

If there was one word to describe the design ability of Salehe Bembury, it would be: versatility. Claiming his name as the lead footwear designer for Versace, Salehe is merging his passion for the outdoors and hiking with footwear and streetwear.

Born and raised in New York City, Bembury got his start in the footwear industry as a designer at Payless after graduating from Syracuse University. Folowed by stints at Cole Haan (2011) and Yeezy (2015), Bembury was able to deliver luxury streetwear-style sneakers for Yeezy Season 3 and 4. The success of those projects led him to his position as head of sneaker design at Versace in 2017 and now VP of sneakers and men’s footwear with the brand in 2020.

But it doesn’t stop there. Salehe has continued to grow his network and personal brand beyond the security of the Versace moniker. Building brand partnerships with New Balance, Crocs and strengthening his own line (Spunge); Salehe is determined to introduce a new layer of streetwear culture that represents the outdoors and hiking enthusiasts.