What happens when wearable art meets cultural legacy? Toronto-based artist Hieram Weintraub has launched HEROES—a powerful new capsule series of one-of-a-kind, hand-painted jackets that celebrate history, identity, and the changemakers who’ve paved the way. Curated by iconic voices of today (starting with none other than Canadian Hip Hop legend Kardinal Offishall), each jacket honours a personal hero through bold design and storytelling. With a portion of proceeds supporting charities chosen by each guest curator, HEROES is more than a fashion statement—it’s a movement stitched with meaning. We caught up with Hieram to learn more. —Noa Nichol
What inspired you to launch the HEROES initiative, and why did you choose jackets as your canvas?
You know when you watch a bio-flick and you see the hero’s origin story? It’s always cool seeing the people who inspired them in the first place. I thought it would be great to have people I admire curate who I’ll paint, as if they were the director of their own collection. Kind of like a mixtape. So I invited some heroes of today to share who their heroes are, the ones that inspired them on their own journeys. I love how you can see the DNA of each curator in the icons they’ve selected. It’s like a living chain of inspiration. Plus it looks dope.
Jackets are a great canvas because there’s a lot of area to paint on, and I always liked the look of ’70’s street gang jackets.
How do you select the guest curators, and what drew you to start the series with Kardinal Offishall (on a personal note, have been a fan since, well, last century lol)?
Kardi is such a trailblazer in so many ways; he’s so accomplished as an artist, producer, executive, and much more. He’s absolutely played a significant role in the global impact of Canadian artists. The perfect fit for a project about legacy. The photo of Kardi wearing his Marcus Garvey jacket in front of the Lincoln Memorial is such a powerful image on so many levels. It really embodies the HEROES project. What a gift.
Can you tell us more about one of the heroes featured in this first capsule and why their story matters today?
Fred Hampton of the Black Panthers assembled the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ which brought together rival street gangs in order to fight racism and poverty. 1969 was a really polarized time, with definite parallels to now. Eventually the FBI broke up the coalition and assassinated Hampton when he was only 21!
How do you balance art, fashion, and storytelling in each one-of-a-kind piece?
a few years ago I was in stroke recovery (!) and I was spending a lot of time in my home / studio. At that time I really wanted to do meaningful work, so I made a decision to try and use fashion/art as a way to share history. We live in such fast-forward, super-scrolling times, and I think these inspirational stories from the past get lost in the cycle. Painting on clothes allows for the history to be literally out there on someone’s body, alive, moving among the people.
I like that this work is in it’s own lane – it’s art, but it’s also fashion as well as history.
Sustainability is core to your practice—how do you source the jackets and materials for the series?
I like the idea of taking something old and giving it a new life, so I almost always use secondhand clothes. I live in Toronto, thankfully there are many places to find used / vintage clothing. Painting on the different materials produces different looks; portraits on denim look sort of worn-in, while the paint I use on leather really pops..it looks like candy.
Why was it important to include a charitable element in the project, and how are the organizations chosen?
Each guest curator in the HEROES project chooses their own organization they would like some of the proceeds to go to. I’ve been in many situations where I’ve received the help of others, this is my way of paying it forward.
What do you hope people take away when they wear or experience a HEROES jacket?
The conversation I hope to inspire is “I love your jacket, who is that portrait?”
Tough personal question: which jacket from the series is your personal favourite, and why?
I like them all for different reasons. The Stevie Wonder denim vest reminded me of The Outsiders, so I painted ’Stay Gold’ on it (his song from the film) which gave it a whole vibe. I love the sentiment. And I love Stevie Wonder! A giant.
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