Cliff Danzy
Creative Director / Art DirectorAtlanta — Los Angeles

CLIFF DANZY

Three models in Pivot SS26 inside a New York pizza shop

Campaigns, product and spaces across footwear, apparel and culture.

Work

06 projects
Urban Nomad moodboard collageUrban Nomad look with an expedition packOlive Pivot tote on a subway platform
01PIVOT — URBAN NOMAD
Campaign / editorial · 2026
Mid-air leap across a canyon in the SMPL Industries × Pivot collab
02SMPL INDUSTRIES × PIVOT
Collaboration · 2022
Nike Dunks held in front of the Clark Atlanta University sign
03NIKE / JORDAN
Activations · 2020–2022
Pivot sherpa fleece beneath the Pivot sign at the ComplexCon booth
04PIVOT × COMPLEXCON
Booth · 2025
Galaxy-painted Air Jordan 12 custom
05SNEAKERBEATERZ
Footwear customization · 2012–2019
Air Jordan 4 Lightning social graphic
06SELECTED DESIGN
Social & release creative
01   Campaign / editorial · 2026

PIVOT —
URBAN NOMAD

RoleCreative Director / Head of Design
ScopeConcept, moodboard, styling, locations, shoot direction, product
Concept

THE CITY IS
THE MOUNTAIN.

Outdoor utility worn through everyday city life — trail gear on the subway, climbing hardware at the bodega.

The story
The idea

Trail gear and climbing hardware worn through everyday New York — the subway, the bodega, the pizza counter. The city is the mountain.

What I did

Built the moodboard and Pantone palette, styled the looks, and directed the shoots in the studio, across New York and outdoors. Developed product through tech packs for the Hiker's Tote and Trail Hiker hoodie.

The result

One visual world carried from studio lookbook to street campaign, outdoor editorial and product — the tote on the subway platform is the tech pack, made real.

Moodboard & palette

References
Urban Nomad moodboard collage: city transit, layered utility and trail gear worn off-trail

City transit, layered utility, and trail gear worn off-trail. The palette pulls from the same world.

PANTONE6070 C
PANTONE19-4111 TCX · Pageant Blue
PANTONEBlack 7 CP
PANTONE5763 C

Styling

Studio lookbook
Urban Nomad look: expedition pack Urban Nomad look: washed purple chore jacket and rope-handle tote Urban Nomad look: graphic zip hoodie with climbing harness Urban Nomad look: purple plaid anorak under an umbrella Urban Nomad look: wolf graphic tee with harness and goggles

Location — New York

SS26 shoot
Olive Pivot tote with climbing-rope straps on a subway platform Model in a Pivot mountain beanie and alpine graphic tee in a bodega
Pivot SS26, New YorkPhotography: EMDIII Photography

Location — off the grid

Outdoors
Model lying among roots and wildflowers Model climbing between large granite blocks Model blowing snow from her hands in a colorblock sherpa
Three people in Pivot tees resting on a rock outcrop under a blue sky Model in a green Pivot knit hood

Product

Tech packs · SS26
Tech pack for the Pivot Hiker's Tote in faded olive organic cotton
Pivot Hiker's Tote
Tech pack for the Pivot Trail Hiker zip hoodie
Pivot Trail Hiker zip hoodie
02   Collaboration · 2022

SMPL INDUSTRIES
× PIVOT

RoleCuration & art direction
ScopeConcept, moodboard, product, team, shoot direction, rollout content
Low-angle shot of a hiker leaping between canyon rocks against the sky
The story
The idea

Two brands, one outdoor world — built from '70s climbing culture and the loud color and hand-drawn type of '90s ACG.

What I did

Curated the whole collaboration and set the art direction it was executed from. Built the team, directed the photo shoot, and made all the marketing content for the rollout.

The result

A collab world carried from moodboard to product to a canyon shoot — utility shorts, a washed tee and an embroidered sunset-mountain mark pulled straight from the references.

My role
Collaboration CurationArt DirectionTeam BuildingShoot DirectionRollout Content

Moodboard

Curated by Cliff
SMPL × Pivot moodboard: vintage climbers, desert towers and '90s ACG Air Mowabb imagery

Vintage climbers, desert towers, and the purple-and-orange energy of the Air Mowabb era.

Nike ACG Air Mowabb print ad, “Top Ten Reasons to start outdoor cross-training”
Reference · Nike ACG Air Mowabb ad, 1990s
Vintage Nike Air Mowabb graphic tee
Reference · Nike Air Mowabb tee, 1990s

The product

Sample × Pivot Hike
Rust nylon utility shorts with an embroidered Sample × Pivot Hike sunset mountain graphic Lavender nylon utility shorts with the embroidered sunset mountain graphic Washed black tee with the embroidered Sample × Pivot Hike graphic
Woven neck label with the sunset mountain mark Close-up of the purple and tan screen print Close-up of the embroidery on lavender nylon Close-up of the embroidery on the black tee

Embroidery, woven label and screen print

The shoot

Directed by Cliff
Hiker in a red cap and SMPL × Pivot tee stepping down a rock trail Three hikers on a sandstone ledge under a deep blue sky Climber in red collab shorts scrambling up a red rock face Hiker leaping across a canyon below a pale sandstone wall Hiker drinking from a bottle on a rock in the collab tee and shorts

The rollout

Made by Cliff

Launch graphic for the drop: the product, the Sample Pivot Hike mark and shots from the trail, laid out like a field journal on a hand-drawn trail map.

Rollout content · design & layout by Cliff

Sample Pivot Hike launch graphic: tees, shorts, the sunset mountain logo and polaroid trail photos on a hand-drawn map
03   Activations · 2020–2022

NIKE / JORDAN

Creative direction · Cultural marketing · Campaign · Experience
Nike Dunks held by their laces in front of the Clark Atlanta University sign

Developed and directed creative campaigns and experiences for Nike and Jordan through SolePlay, connecting product, culture, retail, and community.

The story
The idea

Launch the shoe inside the community it was made for. For the Clark Atlanta Dunk, a MARTA ticket became the raffle — campus to train to store.

What I did

Built the concept and marketing plan, designed the “Got CAU” flyer, and brought in the Men of Clark Atlanta University for the promo video. For Rebellionaire, curated Sole Play's store design and aesthetics.

The result

Two launches where the store and the street told one story: a campus-wide campaign for CAU, and a Rebellionaire launch whose red X ran from the windows to the floor to the team's tees.

Highlight

NIKE ×
CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY

Developed the creative and marketing concept for a Nike Dunk campaign at Clark Atlanta University, using MARTA train tickets as the raffle mechanic. Students could win a free ride from campus to the store — a direct line between the campus community, transportation and retail.

To launch it from inside the culture, Cliff brought in the Men of Clark Atlanta University (MOCAU) for a promo video — line dancing across campus in the Clark Atlanta Dunks.

Watch the promo video ↗Campaign reel ↗
The campaign
GOT CAU campaign flyer for SolePlay featuring the Clark Atlanta Nike Dunks
“Got CAU” campaign flyer
Still from the promo video: students line dancing in the Dunks on campus
Promo video still · watch on Instagram ↗
  1. 01CAMPUS
  2. 02MARTA
  3. 03STORE
  4. 04NIKE DUNK
My role
Creative DirectionMarketing StrategyCampaign DevelopmentDesignActivation
Deliverables
Campaign concept“Got CAU” flyerMARTA ticket rafflePromo videoCampus shoot

The promo

On campus, in the Dunks
Five students in MOCAU tees and Nike Dunks mid-routine on the Clark Atlanta campus promenade
Low-angle shot of students lined up in Nike Dunks Close-up of the red, black and grey Nike Dunks in a line
Promo shoot, Clark Atlanta University

The product

Campus shoot
A pair of red, black and grey Nike Dunks hanging by their laces from a red campus post Model in a Clark Atlanta jersey holding the Dunks against a chain-link fence by the track
Nike Dunk × Clark Atlanta University, campus shoot

Air Jordan × Sole Play — Rebellionaire activation

In-store launch · 2022

The 2022 Air Jordan 1 “Rebellionaire” turned Jordan's “banned” mythology into the product itself, covering the shoe in “They can't stop you from wearing them.”

Working from Jordan Brand's concept, Cliff curated the store design and aesthetics for Sole Play's launch: windows hand-lettered with the phrase and struck with red X's, the X carried onto the floor and the staff tees, and the shoe hung from a hoop under a lettered backboard.

Store DesignAesthetic Curation
Store designAesthetics & installation
Air Jordan 1 Rebellionaire key graphic: Jumpman over a red painted X Rebellionaire Air Jordan 1s hanging from an outdoor hoop over a graffiti backboard
Sole Play storefront with windows hand-lettered in the Rebellionaire phrase and red X marks Red painted-X floor decal with a white Jumpman
Window design: “They can't stop you from wearing them” hand-lettered in an overlapping repeat
Window design · “They can't stop you from wearing them,” hand-lettered in a repeat for the storefront glass
Rebellionaire Air Jordan 1s filling a glass-fronted wood display wall Graphic-printed launch table
Sole Play team in matching red-X launch tees facing the Jordan wall
04   Brand activationLas Vegas · 2025 · Booth H21

PIVOT ×
COMPLEXCON

Experiential · Brand activation · Creative direction · Environment
Visitors browsing Pivot sherpa fleeces in front of the Pivot mountain sign My role
Booth DesignAI Concept Mockup3D-Printed Signage (Contracted)Prop & Material SourcingHands-On FabricationBrand & Product Presentation
The story
The idea

Bring Pivot's outdoors-meets-city world onto the show floor as a raw climbing-gym build, with the Pivot mountain mark as its summit.

What I did

Designed the booth, mocked it up with AI, contracted the 3D-printed sign, sourced every prop, and fabricated the booth by hand.

The result

The AI mockup became a real walk-in space — a set for shopping, on-camera interviews and guest photos at ComplexCon Las Vegas 2025.

01 Booth concept

A raw, climbing-gym build dropped onto the show floor — the outdoors and the street in one space, with the Pivot mountain mark as its summit.

ComplexCon booth moodboard: climbing gear, bouldering walls, graffiti and rope
Moodboard
AI-generated concept mockup of the Pivot booth
AI concept mockup, before the build
ComplexCon announcement graphic featuring the Pivot camo vest and bucket hat
Announcement asset
02 Environment & graphics

Raw OSB walls turned into a climbing wall with bolted-on holds and coiled rope, finished with spray-painted tags and a counter built on stacked orange buckets. The 3D-printed mountain-and-moon mark anchors the back wall.

The finished Pivot booth before doors Close detail of the 3D-printed moon and mountain sign Coils of colored climbing rope between climbing holds
03 Consumer journey

Visitors stepped inside the wall to browse the racks and try pieces on. The booth also worked as a set — for on-camera interviews and photos with guests.

On-camera interview inside the Pivot booth Guests posing in front of the Pivot sign
04 Product presentation

Colorblock sherpa fleeces, camo utility vests and bucket hats, and pink-and-black shells hung from pipe rails and straight off the wall — so the product read as part of the climb.

Colorblock Pivot sherpa fleece and camo bucket hat beneath the Pivot sign Visitor at the rack beside the camo utility vest
05 Installation
01Designed the booth
02Built the mockup with AI
03Contracted the 3D-printed sign
04Sourced every prop
05Fabricated it by hand
First plywood panels going up in the empty booth
First panels up
3D-printed sign pieces numbered on a wood floor
3D-printed sign, numbered for install
Drilling climbing holds into the plywood wall
Setting the holds
Mounting the Pivot sign on the back wall
Mounting the mark
The finished Pivot sign wall with climbing holds and product
Pivot × ComplexCon, Las Vegas 2025Event photography: EMDIII Photography
05   Footwear · 2012–2019

SNEAKERBEATERZ

Product · Customization · Brand · CultureCo-founder · Creative Director / Project Manager
The SneakerBeaterz founders in an art studio surrounded by their custom sneakers

A footwear customization and restoration company Cliff co-founded with artist Ki'erre Dawkins at Mississippi State University — the foundation of his work in product, brand and culture.

Business impact
400+
Orders
$30K+
Revenue

Grew from a customization concept into a working business, completing 400+ orders and generating more than $30,000 in revenue in a single year.

Source: MSU E-Center, 2016 ↗
The story
The idea

Treat the sneaker as a canvas — and restore athletic shoes properly, with methods built for them instead of dress-shoe techniques.

What I did

Co-founded the company with artist Ki'erre Dawkins. Led restorations, product design, marketing, events and the team.

The result

400+ orders and more than $30,000 in revenue in a single year, with customs featured in Nice Kicks.

The craft

Hand-painted leather and suede, custom colorways and restorations — each pair treated as a canvas, then shot and pushed out through social.

My role
Footwear CustomizationProduct DesignArtist CollaborationsMarketing & DigitalEventsTeam Leadership

Custom designs

Footwear customization · 2 featured in Nice Kicks
Air Jordan 14 Beef and Broccoli custom by SneakerBeaterzAir Jordan 14 “Beef & Broccoli” ↗ Nike Air Force 1 High pop-art custom by SneakerBeaterzNike Air Force 1 High, pop art ↗ Galaxy-painted Air Jordan 12 custom Camo-painted Vans Sk8-Mid custom with a hand-painted box logo SneakerBeaterz custom sandal design 1 SneakerBeaterz custom sandal design 2 SneakerBeaterz custom sandal design 3 SneakerBeaterz custom sandal design 4 SneakerBeaterz custom sandal design 5 SneakerBeaterz custom sandal design 6
06   Selected design work

SELECTED
DESIGN

Release imagery for Sole Play's social channels — each drop built around one strong visual idea.

Social & release creative

Sole Play
Air Jordan 4 Lightning social graphic
Air Jordan 4 “Lightning”
Orange suede Air Force 1 with a gold Swoosh on a red table
Air Force 1
Air Jordan 1 pair on a green cutting mat with craft tools
Air Jordan 1
Nike Air Trainer 1 campaign image: model in the woods
Nike Air Trainer 1
Air Max sneakers propped on a car door with smoke
Air Max
Beekeeper with a smoker beside yellow Jordans
Air Jordan
For Bandit Running

WHY BANDIT

Bandit makes performance gear that looks to art, architecture and fashion instead of other running brands — and builds it with its community. That's how I work. Pivot puts outdoor utility into city life, and my Nike and Jordan launches started inside the communities they were made for.

What the role asks forWhere it is in this portfolio
Concepts, mood boards and treatmentsSMPL × Pivot and Urban Nomad moodboards · ComplexCon booth mockup On-set art direction — styling, casting, locationsSMPL × Pivot canyon shoot · Urban Nomad lookbook and New York shoot · MOCAU promo video Social, digital and e-commerce creativeSole Play release creative · “Got CAU” campaign Retail and event designRebellionaire store launch · ComplexCon booth, built by hand Ideas, not just executionThe MARTA raffle — campus to train to store

I'd bring the whole loop to Bandit: the reference, the image and the build.

I build creative worlds.

Cliff Danzy on a New York street in a purple Pivot chore jacket

I'm a Creative Director and multidisciplinary creative working across fashion, lifestyle, footwear, sport and culture.

My work moves between strategy and execution — developing brand identities, campaigns, products, experiences and visual systems, and leading the teams and collaborators needed to bring them to life.

My perspective comes from growing up in the South and later living in cities including Atlanta and Los Angeles. It gives me a point of view that moves between culture, nature, design and everyday life.

Creative DirectionBrand StrategyArt DirectionCampaign DevelopmentProductExperientialDigitalCreative LeadershipAI / Emerging Tech

EXPERIENCE

2019–presentPIVOTCreative Director / Head of DesignCase study
2023–presentENGINEERING BY DESIGNProject Manager
2020–2022
SOLEPLAYNike · Jordan · Adidas · Saucony
Creative Director / Project ManagerNike / Jordan
2012–2019SNEAKERBEATERZCo-founder · Creative Director / Project ManagerCase study

Selected press

06 features

Selected coverage of Cliff Danzy's creative work, entrepreneurship, brand development, and projects across footwear, fashion and culture.

VoyageATLMeet Cliff Danzy — Pivot Lifewear Inc.Creative direction, brand building↗ Bold JourneyMeet Cliff DanzyCreative career, brand building↗ Nice KicksAir Jordan 14 “Beef & Broccoli” Custom — SneakerBeaterzFootwear design, customization↗ Nice KicksNike Air Force 1 High Goes Pop Art — SneakerBeaterzFootwear design, customization↗ Mississippi State University E-CenterFounder Friday: Kierre Dawkins & Cliff DanzyEntrepreneurship, brand building↗ Mississippi TodayMcCollough Brings Stay-at-Home Pitch to CampusEntrepreneurship, SneakerBeaterz↗