MAM
Converse x PLAY Comme des Garçons celebrate 15 years with single hearts design return
Mumbai: In 2009, Converse and Comme des Garçons commenced a partnership that brought CDG’s ‘Hearts and Eyes’ logo onto the Chuck Taylor All-Star for the first time. Across the ensuing 15 years, this iconic collaboration has both helped inform the modern approach to footwear collaborations and produced more than 20 iterations that have been celebrated and sought after across cultures. In celebration of the partnership’s 15th anniversary, the brands have joined forces to reissue the design that started it all—the Converse x PLAY Comme des Garçons OG Single Hearts pack.
While the collaboration’s debut design appeared on the Chuck Taylor All-Star, Converse and CDG are bringing the OG Single Hearts onto the pinnacle Chuck 70 and Chuck 70 Ox for the first time.
The Converse x PLAY Comme des Garçons OG Single Hearts pack keeps the logo details untouched from 2009’s OG offering. Since then, the PLAY line’s signature logo has appeared across several Converse silhouettes—the heart-and-eyes logo: a signifier of the collaboration’s minimalist yet optimistic and unassuming style. The logo has been seen peeking out amongst polka dots and multiplied and magnified across the canvases of Converse’s most beloved styles.
The styles within the OG Single Hearts pack will include the Converse x Comme des Garçons OG Single Hearts Chuck 70, priced at INR 12499, and the Converse x Comme des Garçons OG Single Hearts Chuck 70 Ox, available at INR 11,999 in sizes UK 5 to UK 15. CDG’s ‘Hearts and Eyes’ appears along the lateral side of the Chuck 70s, which arrive in classic Milk and Black colourways with white foxing and toecaps. The limited-edition Chucks are crafted in premium canvas for an elevated feel, and feature cobranded sock-liners, OrthoLite cushioning for all-day comfort, and a vintage license plate.
The Converse x PLAY Comme des Garçons OG Single Hearts pack commercializes on 27 September on Converse.in
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
