2023 Oscar nominees gifted with Brooklyn teen’s Lane 1 sneakers

She’s put her heart and sole into it.

Amira-Dior Traynham-Artis, a 14-year-old entrepreneur from Brooklyn, will have her custom sneakers featured in the gift bags at the Oscars 2023.

The teen says having her Lane 1 kicks offered up as congratulatory swag for A-listers such as Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh and Austin Butler is a dream come to true.

“When I first found out my shoes were going to be gifts at the Oscars I actually didn’t know how to react,” Traynham-Artis told The Post with a laugh. 

“I was like, ‘Wait, is this actually happening? Is this real life?,’” chuckled the seventh grader from Bed-Stuy. “It was so exciting.”

Advertisement

Her mother, Kenesha Traynham-Cooper, first recognized the girl’s innate knack for making posh prints when she was just 3-years-old. As a hobby, the pair would often redecorate drab heels, flats and sling-backs into flashy showstoppers, adorning them with faux feathers, glitter and rhinestones.

And as Traynham-Artis matured, in both age and artistic skill, Traynham-Cooper began encouraging the creative to pursue her passion for design as a businesswoman.

“I realized Amira-Dior had an eye for art and fashion,” the mother, an assembly district leader, told The Post. “It was important for me to nurture that gift.”

So, one day in late 2021, she surprised her then 12-year-old with graphic design computer software and a peculiar question.

“My mom randomly asked me if I wanted to make shoes, and I was like, ‘Sure,’” Traynham-Artis recalled.

“At first I was just sitting in front of my laptop, and I really didn’t know what to do,” she continued. “But then, I started thinking about what kind of shoe I’d like to wear that’s not [already on the market] and different colors that I think are cool.”

After a few hours of tinkering around on the computer, working to perfect the funky pizzazz of her first-ever high-tops, Traynham-Artis decided to launch Lane 1 — a name influenced by her professional mission to carve out her own “lane” of coolness.

“When I commit to something, I give it my everything,” she said. “And after I made my first design, I knew this was something that I really wanted to do.”

Advertisement

Traynham-Cooper helped the then-preteen secure manufacturing with leather shoemakers in the Le Marche region of Italy.

And now, 70 pairs of Traynham-Artis’ sneakers, in collaboration with Brooklyn-based men’s fashion house Gernie NYC, will be exhibited in the Dubois Pelin and Associates’ luxe gift suite during the 95th annual ceremonies, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. 

In January, Traynham-Artis was invited to display her shoes by the DPA group, a global brand execution platform, after her management team introduced the company to her colorful high and low top kicks — which, for those who won’t be in attendance on Hollywood’s biggest night, range in price from $150 to $250 and are exclusively available for purchase online. 

“I am very grateful for this opportunity,” said Traynham-Artis, who points to the vibrancy and artistry of her close-knit neighborhood as her source of inspiration for Lane 1 designs. “The people in my community are like my family,” she chimed. “They’re all so creative and cool, and when I see them making new art or playing new music, a spark goes off in my head that makes me want to design.”

And she hopes to introduce that NYC-drenched style to young Hollywood’s elite.

“I’d love to see Zendaya, Skai Jackson, Jenna Ortega, Marsai Martin and Michael B Jordan wear [my sneakers],” she gushed.

The teen, who dreams up new sneaker patterns after a full class-load at Workshop middle school and finishing homework, then sends the designs to the European craftsman for production. 

And although balancing her schedule between academics, hanging out with friends and helming an international footwear house often comes as a challenge, Traynham-Artis says setting an example for other teenage go-getters motivates her hustle. 

“I want to inspire young people like me,” she said. “No matter where you are, you’re age or where you come from, you can do what you anything — even make it to Hollywood.”