DSCENE magazine reveals a Salehe Bembury cover artwork for the Design under pressure issue, created in collaboration with Troy Brown. Raised in New York and trained in industrial design, Bembury built his career in footwear through roles in Unpaid, Cole Haan, Yeezyand Versacelater developing large projects with Crocs and New balance. In these chapters, he formulated a design language rooted in organic form, texture and function, which now informs Spongehis independent footwear brand.
The cover continues a creative exchange that began after Bembury discovered Browne’s graphic work on Instagram and responded to the way he digitally warps images into new compositions. Their relationship developed over two years of working on Bembury’s Crocs campaigns, where Browne brought energy to the graphics and helped define the still images now associated with the partnership. For Bembury, the DSCENE cover felt like a natural next step, building from the history and creative shorthand the two developed over time.
Design Under Pressure examines creative work under constant demand, shaped by speed, control, expectation, finance and visibility. The issue examines how pressure changes the way ideas are developed, how creative people protect their work, and what remains intact when ambition meets demand. For DSCENE, the theme touches fashion, film, music, design, architecture, art and public life, addressing pressure as one of the defining forces behind contemporary culture.
In conversation with the editor of DSCENE magazine Katarina DoricBembury talks about entering a new chapter with Spunge after years of working with major companies. He describes the shift as learning a new language, connected to ownership, communication, retail, community, product and brand identity. The collaborations have given him defined moments with clear beginnings and endings, while Spunge requires him to create a footwear brand that can earn trust over time.
He associates the brand with the idea of being a sponge, absorbing everything he has learned over 15 years in the industry. Bembury points to factory work, marketing, public relations, startups, high fashion, Yeezy, Versace, Crocs and New Balance as part of the education that shaped his perspective. Spunge becomes the place where these lessons enter his own firm, while the collaboration remains part of his wider practice.
The interview also examines Osmosis as a key example of this change. Bembury explains that some expected him to repeat the energy of previous works, when he had already moved into a different phase. With Osmosis, he wanted to maintain his design DNA while creating a shoe that felt familiar, distinct and accessible to people beyond a niche footwear audience. This required a different way of talking through design, one that focused on building trust rather than chasing a reaction.
Bembury also reflects on instinct, function, and how past works reveal different versions of his mindset. He connects it Thumbs up in a period of proving himself and working with Clarks with confidence and instinct. Throughout the interview, he returns to industrial design as his foundation: to find a problem, identify the insight, and develop a product that works.
Shoe designer SALECHE BEMBURI
Artist and illustrator TROY BROWNE
