Jonathan Humphrey Jr. - September 2024
For the month of September, we would like to share the spotlight on a dear friend of ours, Jonathan Humphrey Jr. (@jjust_jon ).
Jon is the CoFounder and Creative Director of Foster (@shopfoster_ ), which is a sneaker and apparel store based in New Orleans. He is also the founder of Beignet Boys (@beignetboys ) a clothing brand that is exclusively sold at Foster.
Growing up in Los Angeles, artistry has always been present in Jon’s life. His father designed Mardi Gras floats and his grandmother designed Mardi Gras Indian suits. While in high school he would draw and make designs on fellow students’ backpacks and shirts with heavy influence from graffiti and the LA culture. When he got into college, he took computer design, which wasn’t his favorite, but his teacher told him that it would be important for him in the long run. Before the store, Jon was a barber for 10 years This allowed him to make many connections and ultimately in contact with Patrick Bowden (@itsdjkemistry)
Patrick was the owner of Sneaker Politics at the time and would talk to Jon about taking a job in the store. At first he would turn down the position, but they continued to have a close relationship. Overtime, Jon grew tired of the demanding schedule of being a barber and agreed to take up the position. It has now been almost 15 years since Jon has been with the store. And is now part owner with Patrick. He was tasked with creating a brand that would live solely in the store as Politics were transitioning into Foster. This would be the beginning of Beignet Boys.
In short, Jon came up with the idea of a play on words making light of the consistency between the powdered sugar that garnishes the popular New Orleans pastry and narcotics. This is also why the razor blade is also a big logo in the brand because of its double edge. One side of people enjoy Beignet Boys because of the light New Orleans culture and references while others enjoy the darker tones. Jon credits a lot of his inspiration from his family, especially his mother. Some of the accolades that Jon is very proud of being able to have a booth at Complexcon for Beignets Boys and having a collaboration with Lids. Going forward Jon wants both Foster and Beignet Boys to continue its growth and expansion. To continue to make connections in order to bring in fresh ideas and new brands. Jon is extremely proud to have worked with his best friends for a majority of his success working alongside Brandon “Bimma” Williams (@bimmawilliams ) designing his first collaboration with Saucony.
If you’re looking to reach out or learn more about Jon, you can always visit Foster on 3213 17th St suite 1 in Metairie, Louisiana. you can also reach out to him via Instagram. Do you have a favorite Foster or Beignet boys piece?
