Meet The Owner/ Designer
G. Booker
BIO
“I don’t design shoes. I create artwork for your feet.” G. Booker is an East Coast creator with an ever-evolving imagination that he brings to life in each of his shoe designs, for his luxury brand Josephine Valerie New York.
Born in Columbus, Ohio and raised in Yonkers, New York, Booker’s knack for fashion was inspired by his Great Grandmother Josephine Valerie. She was a hard working seamstress turned entrepreneur and the mother of 16 children. As the wife of a reverend, she carried herself with respect and never stepped out without looking her best. Those values were instilled in Booker as a young child and would lead to his affinity for fine threads.
Booker was the first male in his large family to attend college and had a successful run in playing basketball until an injury affected his quick game on the court. He would go on to dabble in the street hustle, before landing his first job in the fashion industry at Nine West. As a shoe sample manager, he handled hundreds of white shoeboxes per day, and started to draw his own designs on the white lids before throwing them away. Booker’s thirst for knowledge, natural talent for sketching, and intuitive business sense, would eventually provide him with an opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade, working with Product, Marketing and Sales Departments. After four years at Nine West, Booker would go on to work the next five years as a sample manager with the company’s former owner at Marc Fisher Footwear.
As a multi-faceted creative, G. Booker also possessed a raw talent for writing and rapping songs. He took a chance in the music industry for a decade and emerged as a successful songwriter in the Ruff Ryders camp. While a career as a rap artist in front of the camera didn’t necessarily pan out the way he expected, Booker couldn’t shake his desire to ultimately be his own boss and start his own business.
Inspired by the success of urban brands Karl Kani, F.U.B.U., Sean John and Phat Farm, Booker worked two jobs for five years, stacked his paper, secured the proper paperwork and proudly launched his own company Josephine Valerie – named after his Great Grandmother – in 2017. After drawing inspiration from his family’s Native American roots, he released his first shoe dubbed the “Josephine,” in June of 2018. The unique design pays homage to the war bonnets traditionally worn by Native American men and only given as a highest honor to fierce women who defended their tribes. The premium shoe boasts opulent feathers, bold colors and luxurious materials.
Josephine Valerie has grown from one shoe to now celebrities calling to wear Booker’s designs, including notable figures like Lil’ Kim, Deborah Cox, Moniece Slaughter, Keke Palmer and Mariahlynn. With his brand, Booker aims to provide a luxury brand, elevated beyond “urban,” that just happens to be a Black-owned business. Booker creates high-end artwork for the customer who walks into a room and all eyes are on them.
As a heterosexual male in the fashion industry, Booker is an inspiring example of how a successful career as a shoe designer is possible for young boys of color. “I love sitting down with a blank piece of paper and pencil, and in 30 days, holding something in my hand that never existed before I imagined it,” says Booker. In 2021, he expanded the brand to include unisex apparel and will continue to build Josephine Valerie into a household name.