JAVI, headquartered in New York City, was established in 2016 by industry veteran Javier Santana, as an acronym of his own name. Inspired by the worlds of music, art and street culture, JAVI footwear embodies designer fashion-luxe sneakers at competitive price points. Vivid colors and prints combined with urban influence blend together to create a visual interpretation of rhythmic accents and aggressive beats; the cornerstone of Latin pop music culture.
JAVI, with its Dominican roots, creates extremely contemporary and modern style collections by interpreting the latest trends in fashion in an original and kaleidoscopic way. Breaking down the barriers that separate genres, JAVI appeals to a broad demographic with its cross over design and streetwear aesthetic.
Utilizing only the finest materials and working with exceptionally skilled craftsmen to ensure flawless fit, JAVI is redefining what we have come to expect from fashion footwear; JAVI bold, colorful, fashion sneakers are more than a passing trend: they’re a quiet, footwear-focused revolution.
Javier Santana is a Dominican-American fashion designer. Santana grew up in Uptown Manhattan, Washington Heights, and now resides between New York City and Hong Kong. Javier combines his passion for cultural diversification and his hand for modern design into stylish, avant-garde footwear. For over 30 years, Javier has been involved in the footwear industry from owning 8 retail stores in New York City to becoming design director of Robert Wayne. Realizing the need for quality product at affordable luxury price points, Javier founded JVR Group over 13 years ago, as a design, development and sourcing company headquartered in Guangzhou, China. As Javier became more established and well known, brands such as Opening Ceremony, Derek Lam, DVF, 7 For All Mankind, Bill Blass, Joseph Abboud, etc. turned to him to help transition their design, development and manufacturing needs from Europe and South America to China. Simultaneously, Javier partnered with Joan Hansen & Company, the oldest licensing brand management firm in the world, to develop a global branded footwear business and became the licensee for several well-known brands including Greg Norman, Tracy Reese and Steve Harvey.
As founder and creative director of JAVI footwear, Javier lives at the nexus of fashion, retail and emerging technologies. A European sensibility pervades his design, which finds its inspiration in New York Soho street culture; edgy fashion forward athletics with attitude.