Ever since the release of her trap-tinged debut A Liquid Breakfast earlier this year, New Jersey native Audrey Nuna has cemented her status as a rising star, with her genre-hopping music that feels as infectious as it is bold. Her latest project sees her team up with Acne Studios to drop a dreamy music video for her track “That XX”, in which Nuna can be seen sporting the brand’s limited edition Acne Studio 08STHLM sneakers in silver glitter.

Directed and conceptualised entirely by the singer herself, the three-part film begins with ‘The Fall’, where Nuna is suspended mid-air on a star-spangled theatre stage. “I wanted to show how glimmers of dreamlike, surreal moments can be woven into mundane, relatable events – in this case, a middle school play,” she explains.

Wearing the limited-edition 08STHLM sneakers, with a matching tinsel wig and magic wand, she starts singing at the camera but someone lets go of the ropes, sending the 22-year-old crashing back down to reality.

The second part is a fever dream montage in black-and-white. Nuna peels Acne Face motif plasters off her face to reveal sparkly ‘wounds’, between snaps of the 08STHLMs. Rounding off the film, the third part (‘The Last Supper’) shows the singer eating noodles at a restaurant avec the glittery sneakers and a holographic bonnet.

When creating the video, Nuna wanted to use imagery that was as “surreal and bright” as the 08STHLM. “I immediately noticed how bold they were – especially the colour. There’s something cool about that unabashed and shameless boldness,” she says. The shoes, Nuna says, are “nuggets of surrealism and fantasy that allow you to realise that it’s all a dream”.

According to Nuna, Acne Studios reached out to the singer after coming across a drag queen in Seoul who shared her music on Instagram.

“It was a challenge to direct a video that I’m also in,” she adds. “I found myself doing takes, then going to check the monitor. The process was a lot of amazing teamwork – a lot of planning with Khufu, who did creative direction with me, as well as Steve, the wonderful DP. Both were so helpful throughout the process.”

The 08STHLM sneaker first appeared in the brand’s autumn-winter 2021 Face collection. Originally meant as a streamlined take on the classic basketball sneaker, the limited-edition glitter version is a show-stopping alternative for those post-pandemic nights ahead. 

Available in a limited run of 300, those who are lucky enough to get their hands on the sneaker can complete the look with matching silver glitter socks with dusty pink stripes – all packed in a holographic sneaker box, no less.

Watch the video below and find out more about the limited-edition 08STHLM sneakers on the Acne Studios website.