On a particularly sticky Saturday night in Paris on June 20, during a historic heatwave, guests of Jordan Brand x Free The Youth’s “A Night of Flight” sat down for dinner. Service was underway, then a banner dropped from above. Moments later, the Free The Youth hosts descend into the courtyard via zipline, landing directly into their seats. It was an entrance that perfectly captured the spirit of the evening.

For Free The Youth, a collective that has been building a youth-centric community in Ghana since 2013, flight has never been about escaping where you come from. It's about expanding what's possible from where you stand. The collective, known for operating as cultural stuntmen, was founded by Jonathan “Joey Lit” Coffie, Kelly “Kurlz” Sekfafor Foli and Richard “Kweku Maposh” Ormano with a mission to create platforms, opportunities and visibility for Ghana's next generation. 

Through a four-year partnership with Jordan Brand, the collective has continued to challenge convention, create real-world opportunities and redefine what community-driven storytelling can look like on a global stage. Spanning Accra, Paris, New York and beyond, the partnership has consistently raised the creative bar through experiences designed to be lived, not merely observed. Every activation invites people into the story, turning audiences into participants and proving that culture moves fastest when community is at the centre.

Ahead, here’s what went down at their latest dinner-turned-party right before Paris Fashion Week Men’s.

THE DINNER TABLE WAS THE ARENA

At the heart of the night was a family-style dinner led by a new-generation Ghanaian chef, Chef Sita Laura. The table was set in a circle in the courtyard at École Duperré, a renowned Parisian art school. Dishes were shared, passed, and experienced collectively, with everyone conversing under the sky. The setup reflected the heart of both Free The Youth and Jordan Brand: bringing people together through shared experiences, creating space for connection, and proving that some of the most impactful moments happen around a table.

THE NIGHT WAS COLOUR-COORDINATED

Every chapter of the evening carried its own colour story. Guests arrived under soft green lighting before transitioning into warm orange hues inspired by a Tema sunset. As daylight faded, the atmosphere shifted to the colours of the Ghanaian flag, creating a visual journey that paid tribute to the community and place that shaped Free The Youth from the very beginning. Paris may have been the setting, but Ghana was present in every detail.

FLIGHT MODE WAS ACTIVATED

Setting the tone for an evening built around ambition, creativity and possibility, the Free The Youth hosts’ entrance will not soon be forgotten. The zipline descent transformed the courtyard into a living expression of flight. It was playful, unexpected and entirely in line with the collective's belief that creativity should challenge expectations.

As dinner transitioned into drinks, custom mini figures of the FTY founders floated gently into the courtyard on parachutes, a reminder that the night’s central idea extended beyond spectacle. “Flight is not a destination. It’s a mindset,” says Foli. “One rooted in taking risks, betting on your community and building something bigger than yourself.”

A LOOSE RAVE FOLLOWED

After dinner, the courtyard transformed from an intimate gathering into a high-energy open-air rave. Guests stepped away from the tables as the music turned up. Taking command of the moment, the Free The Youth crew stepped into their roles as hosts and MCs, energising the crowd while a rotation of standout DJs took over the decks.

What began as a dinner evolved into a celebration of movement, creativity and collective joy, the same ingredients that have defined Free The Youth’s first decade. And while A Night of Flight marked a major milestone, it also served as a preview of what's ahead. The celebration in Paris was the first Arena of Flight, bringing the vision of Free The Youth and Jordan Brand into the physical world and setting the stage for the next chapter of the partnership.

The story continues this August with the global launch of the Free The Youth x Jordan Brand collection