Culture, Not Chance: HOMECOMING x Nike x Awake NY [Event Review]

Culture, Not Chance: What Ivie Ani's hosted HOMECOMING x Nike Air Max Plus Exclusive New York Launch Panel Discussion at AWAKE NY Reminded Us About Community & Gatekeeping. Featuring Grace Ladoja (MBE), Vashtie Kola, and Angelo Baque.

April 27, 2026 | New York

Last Friday, we caught something special happening on the Lower East Side. Ivie Ani was moderating a conversation at the HOMECOMING x Nike Air Max Plus launch at Awake NY.. and mannnn, when you put Vashtie Kola, Grace Ladoja, and Angelo Baque in a room together, the gems are coming.

Culture, is something we love to highlight on our platform. Nothing we choose to do in terms of culture, and how we show up to the world around us, is by chance. And in 2026, that’s an important distinction.

The Setup

The panel was framed around a question that feels urgent right now: What happens to culture when gatekeeping falls away? When a pair of shoes, a piece of jewelry, a whole aesthetic can be bought and sold faster than it takes to understand why it matters? The crew didn't shy away from the topic many of us feel but haven’t really had the words to articulate over the years. Instead, they leaned straight into it.

Real Talk on Cultural Ownership

Vashtie opened with the tension we're all sitting with: "It's a tricky thing because it keeps some things pure.. but now it definitely changes." With her Trinidadian-American upbringing, she walked through how gold jewelry went from cultural specificity to global trend in real time. "There are concerns to it but there is a beauty to it where it's like.. yeah sure you should have gold teeth too... But maybe in 5 years it's going to be a tacky trend.. but it's in our DNA."

That's the paradox, right? You want your culture to breathe, to grow, to reach people. But you also want it to mean something.

Angelo brought it back to pre-Instagram New York. He mentioned Max Fish, Niagara, those grimy Lower East Side spots where culture actually happened. "The beauty of NYC is that.. one month, a whole bunch of people from London are in town, then the next month a whole bunch of people from Ghana are in town.. so back then.. when London was in town.. it was like.. YO.. like the word would go out.. and we'd all.. hit the night."

There was a curation to it. An intentionality. A vetting.

The Vetting That Built Everything

Vashtie and Grace both touched on something that feels almost nostalgic now: you had to know someone to get in the room. Pre-social media, your crew vouched for you. Your fit wasn't considered “aesthetic”.. but rather a signal.

"I would immediately know it was a signal, as superficial as it.. it probably superficial now but then.. it was a signal of someone you identified with," Vashtie explained. "If that person is into sneakers, they got that at a specific store.. you can't buy it online. So you know already their lifestyle is dedicated to that."

Grace took it further, especially reflecting on being the only woman in rooms full of dudes: "In that era, you were really into stuff. If you were buying a shoe, you were really into that shoe... there was no like Spotify or anything then. So, you had to really be into things." And she didn't just show up.. she showed UP, armed with knowledge and opinions. "I became obsessed about everything about sound.. everything about everything.. so when you come and try to chat shit to me? I know what I'm saying, you know?"

The work was harder. But the payoff was depth.

Brand Collaboration isn’t Selling Out (If You're Smart)

Angelo dropped one more piece of wisdom that felt crucial: "Whatever it is that they think is best for you? 10 times out of 10 it's not best for you. It's best for them."

In a room where major brands are co-hosting the event, that's the kind of real talk you live for. Because the conversation didn’t have to be "brands are bad". But instead, sharing a perspective of "know yourself, know your value, and don't let someone else's vision of you become your brand” resonated with the millennials and Gen Z’s in the room, the latter who are navigating culture with fresher eyes than the panelists who have decades of history in the city.

Why This Moment Matters

We showed up to this panel because No Wahala is built on the same principle: bringing people together who KNOW things, who have opinions, who refuse to treat culture like a commodity to be passively consumed.

Ivie's moderation kept the conversation sharp and honest. She didn't let anyone off easy, and she didn't need to. The panelists were invested in the truth.

In a world where everything feels like content, gatekeeping feels like hate, and "accessibility" has become a stand-in for "everyone doing the same thing"... this panel felt like a reminder. Culture isn't about keeping people out. It's about knowing what you're part of. It's about bringing something to the room. It’s about holding people accountable to the norms and values set by the trailblazers before us (and adjusting slightly to accommodate evolving norms as need be).

That's the standard. That's what we're building toward.

No Wahala is committed to documenting the moments, conversations, and communities that shape our diaspora. This summer, we're bringing this energy to major cities across North America. Stay tuned and subscribe to our newsletter at nowaha.la for early access.