#shegotgame - @adidaswomen Night Maroon Moves
It's no secret that I love red - every single shade of it. It's my power color. I feel most like myself when I wear it, and recently when I had my hair re-done by my stylist/friend Chrissy at her salon in Bed-Stuy, I felt like a phoenix rising from the red and burgundy Pantone ashes.
Recently, adidas sent me over these amazing Ultra Boost 3.0's, right before the temperature took a dip and I was instantly in love. They matched my nails at the time (merlot in tone) and now, my hair. I love that the prime knit is so deeply saturated, in shades of burgundy, wine and maroon anchored in black. It's the perfect way to bring in red and purple tones in your wardrobe for fall. I styled them with the adidas snap track set they sent over as well. Wearing all black with a few grey tones in the Asics bra top lets the shoes sing and still feels very New York - all black with a punch of night maroon (one of the names for this shade).
The pants are listed as full length but they're definitely a bit cropped, more above the ankle. They also fit a bit snug across the hips so I'd suggest sizing up (I usually wear a small or medium in adidas and these are a medium). I like wearing mine sagging down, open with some spandex or tights (or both!) underneath so they're like a true first layer. They remind me of when I was in middle school and high school (we called them tear-aways in Canada) and how I used to layer them with everything. Now they're like a sporty way to add some athletic flair to different outfits.
The jacket hits below my natural waist and I love wearing it open so it kind of accents my waist and shows of the pants. It's a decent layering piece as well as it's lightweight. I've worn it over dresses or bodysuits to sporty touch. Shop the full outfit in the links below and through Polyvore and let me know how you'd style the Ultra Boost this fall.
- Photographer: Terrhon Vaughn - V.Lens
- Hair: Chrissy at Stag & Hen Salon in Bed-Stuy
- Jacket: adidas - Snap Track jacket #giftedbyadidas
- Top: ASICS sports bra - gifted by SIX:02
- Tights: Fishnet stockings from Duane Reade
- Pants: adidas Tricot snap pants - #giftedbyadidas
- Sneakers: adidas Ultra Boost 3.0 - “Red Night / Red Night / Core Black”
- Shot on location in downtown Manhattan, New York City
Hello, World!
#shegotfit: Additional images of Beyoncé's Ivy Park collection for espnW's We Tried It
In this week's edition of my espnW column "We Tried It", I test out the new athleisure and fitness line from Beyoncé. Since the article only has room for a few images, check out a few more below. Have you tried out any pieces from the collection yet? Check out my review and let me know what you think.
Full outfit details:
Shirt: Ivy Park V-Back Mesh Insert Vest tank
Sneakers: Nike Women Air Huarache "Bronzine"
Leggings: Nike Tight of the Moment
Socks: Stance
Hat: Jordan Brand x OVO white velcro back cap
Photos: Pierre Richardson
#shegotstyle: Elements of Personal Style with @nikelab x @sacaiofficial and @champssports
Fashion and style are often looked at as two different entities - fashion is the business, while style is more a question of personal taste. As my style continuously evolves, it always remains intrinsically different. In the age of blogging and social media, I've often felt both a sense of kinship with fellow fashion weirdos but also, a bit outcast when it comes to what generates likes, hearts and emojis. Prevailing trends have become somewhat homogenous, across Instagram, Pinterest and influencers. Can there be early adoption in the style world anymore thanks to the internet? Is personal style still personal, or is it all for public display?
Fashion and style are often looked at as two different entities - fashion is the business, while style is more a question of personal taste. As my style continuously evolves, it always remains intrinsically different. In the age of blogging and social media, I've often felt both a sense of kinship with fellow fashion weirdos but also, still a bit of an outcast when it comes to generating likes, hearts and emojis. Prevailing trends have become somewhat homogenous, across Instagram, Pinterest and influencers. Can there be early adoption in the style world anymore thanks to the internet? Is personal style still personal, or is it all for public display?
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
Growing up, I was always most happy when I was taking style risks. Within the risks, there are always a few elements that I take into account when selecting pieces and creating looks to the pieces that I select still fit into my overall signature look. The "athleisure" trends is something that was always organic to me, mixing skate shoes and sneakers with dresses, long before Vogue and Chanel followed suit. Sporty spice elements and comfort are necessary in all almost all of my ensembles. "High and low" dressing, wearing high fashion brands and more accessible labels, is now de rigueur. As Zara outfits and Nike sneakers are oft paired with Chanel bags and Celine glasses (guilty). Finally, I like special pieces and texture. The mark of an interesting outfit is always in the mix of textiles as wearing the same fabric head to toe, even in different colors and patterns, seems a bit safe. Adding a fur, leather or suede elements to say, neoprene or cotton adds dimension and interest that I love.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
Keeping all these elements in mind, I was ecstatic when I heard that Japanese brand Sacai was collaborating with Nike Lab, Nike's most progressive and fashion forward label. Chitose Abe, Sacai's founder and designer, used to work for Comme des Garçons, under one of my idols - the legend Rei Kawakubo. Abe's designs are often made with interesting and unique textiles, incorporating cool details and plenty of movement. It's a much more progressive brand choice than other athletic wear collaborations as of late. The first iterations of collection caught my eye, but I didn't have a chance (or at the time, the $$$) to invest in a few pieces. Naturally, I was over the moon when a package from Nike Lab showed up on my doorstep a few weeks ago.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
The packaging itself is special, as my jacket came in a large, cloth garment bag and hanger that was branded with the collaboration's logos (Nike always remembers these small touches). Inside was Abe's unique take on the infamous windrunner, Nike's marquee lightweight jacket. The hood and body of the jacket is completely covered in faux fur made from acrylic and polyester, while the arms made of ripstop fabric feature prominent Nike branding.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
The actual shape of windrunner is different too, as it's loose fitting with a trapeze coat type of cut similar to the swinging jackets of the 1960's. There is a elastic cord with toggles along the bottom hem of the jacket that allows you to adjust the flare of the trapeze shape, but it's most fun to wear the jacket unbunched at the hem so it flounces as you walk (or spin - you definitely need to spin in this jacket). The loose fit coupled with the heavier weight of the faux fur means that when the jacket is worn open, it hangs off the shoulders, allowing for more movement, rather than a snug fit.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
Styling the jacket, especially given the volt (neon lime green) and midnight blue colorway, was a bit of a challenge. I wanted the rest of the outfit to echo the three main elements of the Nike Lab x Sacai jacket - high fashion, sporty styling, and a textural melange. I decided to pair the bright jacket neutral colors and relatively basic silhouettes rendered in interesting fabrics. My top is a black Elizabeth and James crop top with a mesh insert between the bust. Since the jacket is so detailed and covered up, I wanted to show a little skin to balance it out and wear black so the colors popped against the top. The shorts are by Rick Owens and are made of cream silk with a drop crotch silhouette. They're simple, but interesting and not always the easiest to wear when you're thicker in the thigh department like me. Much like the top there is a sheer element as the shorts are somewhat see-thru and the length also allows me to not be so swallowed up by fabric - long, wide pants felt too heavy paired with the jacket. To add a little more interested and cover myself up a tad, I wore Pretty Polly tights under the shorts. They tie the top with the shorts as the tights are both black and sheer and give a bit of a graphic, streetwear element to the look.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
The shoes are the Nike Roshe Run Print and are courtesy of the fine people at Champs Sports. The sneakers, like the rest of the outfit besides the jacket, are black and white with some visual interest thanks to the print. I was originally planned to wear black and white block heels, which also works for the look, but decided against it to show that even a short girl can wear such a voluminous piece like the windrunner without having to add extra inches. Since we shot in daytime on an overcast day, I kept my Celine sunglasses handy.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
Personally, I love the jacket. It allows me to make a personal style statement without having to even open my mouth. It's impossible to be a bad mood when you wear the windrunner because it's so unique and equal parts utilitarian and ostentatious. Fashion should be fun, and personal style should make you feel happy, empowered and most importantly, like the very best version of yourself. After all, who doesn't want to look like an high fashion muppet? Grover wishes he could be this chic!
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
The jacket retails for $800 US but is unfortunately completely sold out on Nike.com. However there are a few popping up on eBay if you're so inclined. The shoes are available at Champs now for $80 US. More outfit images and the Polyvore shopping guide for the rest of my look is below, using a mix of exact and similar items. Thanks for reading and let me know how you would style the Nike Lab x Sacai windrunner or if you'd be daring enough to wear it yourself!
Hello, World!
All photos by Pierre Richardson.
High Fashion on the Field: Dolce and Gabbana Extend Deal with Azzuri
When it comes to professional sports, you often see high fashion brands on the backs of athletes off the field but never during game play. However, it should come as no surprise that soccer (or football, out of North America) is the first sport to really embrace fashion on the field. Many soccer players in Europe have modeled for brands,have enviable closets that resemble high-end boutiques and are often credited for bringing the slim, slick suits to the sporting world. Only in recent years have North American athletes began adopting the "Euro" style of dress and swagger.
Today, Dolce and Gabbana announced that they would be extending their deal with the Italian national soccer team through 2014. The Italian fashion house will begin designing kits for the men's senior team for the qualifications of the 2012 UEFA European Championships as well as the Under-21 squad. The collaboration originally started in 2006 after the men's national team (also known as Azzuri) won their fourth World Cup. Dolce and Gabbana's old deal had them dressing the Italian athletes in suits for pre and post game, but not on field. Azzuri's previous jersey outfitter was German sports brand Puma. 2014 is a significant year as it marks the next FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Italy will be trying to capture their fifth World Cup after falling short of defending their title in 2010.
The Italian national team isn't D&G's first foray into soccer sponsorship. They sponsor local Serie A squad AC Milan and they've also been clothing the Milano Beach Soccer Club since 2008. D&G also produced a book dedicated to the players of AC Milan appropriately titled Milan Fashion Soccer Players Portraits this past May and have used athletes for underwear advertising editorials.
What team or sport will we next see embracing high fashion on the field? Stella McCartney designs tennis gear for adidas and the Williams sister ae known for pushing the boundaries of costume attire with their on-court attire with Nike. Fashion often takes cues from sport using football pads as armour for models and varsity jackets are now synonymous with streetwear. Rafael Nadal has stripped down to model for Emporio Armani while Dwyane Wade is collaborating on watch collections - sports and fashion are no longer odd bed fellows but frequent collaborators.
Throwback Steez: vitaminTHICK Launch @ Vault NYC
Fashion, specifically menswear, is in the midst of a heritage moment. Brands are going back to their roots to embrace workwear, tradition and ties to the community. So much manufacturing is now being done overseas and mass quantities, the appeal of homegrown material and local sourcing is understandable to the mindful consumer. New brands are taking to local first mindset to capitalize on the trend and grow their business - small can be good.
One of these brands is vitaminTHICK, based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded by two brand architects Elliott Curtis and Andrew Shedd as a progressive streetwear brand. Their concept is based on the nostalgia of childhood and growing up in the '80's and '90's. All items are released as designer-limited runs and are numbered so they also become instant collectors items - like baseball cards. Graphics range from their adorable squirrel logo to their interpretations of classic logos (a streetwear trend started by Stussy) like the NBA Jam video game, beloved by NBA fans of all ages.
Basketball nostalgia is a strong influence throughout the line. "He Got Game" - one of my favorite films of all time and the genesis for my blog and Twitter name, is paid tribute to in a "Jesus is my homeboy" t-shirt. Jesus Shuttlesworth, the young basketball phoneme protagonist of the film, is played by Boston Celtic guard and future hall of famer, Ray Allen. Allen has saved the Celtics on many occasion and Curtis wanted to pay tribute to his favorite player. He even bedazzled a "Jesus is my homeboy" shirt and presented it to Allen's number one fan, his mom Flo, at the 2011 All-Star game. Another basketball link comes in a less obvious way. North Carolina rapper and producer Brey Quick is managed by vitaminTHICK. He produces his mixtapes with the brand and sports their gear at every opportunity. Quick played four years of college at High Point University as well as professionally for two years in Iceland.Curtis also played AAU basketball growing up so the two have a connection to the basketball community that could prove integral in marketing, appeal and reach of the brand. It also allows for all-inclusive entertainment at events and parties so the company is able to produce their own package deal.
vitaminTHICK recently held a release event at Vault in Harlem, New York City. The full line was on display and Brey Quick performed two sets while a DJ played music throughout the day. This was the first time I was able to see the items up close and the quality is impressive. The apparel items are manufactured in the United States and have modern silhouettes. The line is fitted without being snug and the cotton used is soft but not thin. Quality at a reasonable price for t-shirt and cut and sew brand is difficult for a relatively new brand and keeping the items in small runs seems to have halted any quality control issues in their tracks. The tees are fun, bright and the smaller sizes could be worn by women as the items are properly sized.
The event also marked my first time at Vault. The store is clean, modern with the bank vault theme throughout the store in the display cases. They had a stage set up in the front for Quick's performance and a DJ area as well. Vault is a sneaker store with a Nike account, plenty of streetwear, rows upon rows of snapbacks and fitted to match all of your kicks, sunglasses, and jewelry, including the ubiquitous black diamond bracelets. Their own line of apparel have some great retro inspired graphics, I'm a big of their fan of their brand new "Mr. MVP" shirts in their Paper Chaser line. It's worth the trip to check out the shop and it's a very quick jaunt from the main Harlem strip on 125th Street when you want to get away from the big box stores and support the local spot.
vitaminTHICK is available for purchase at Vault in New York City as well through their online store and in fourteen other stockists in the USA. The prices are reasonable ranging from $20-40 for tees and tanks and $50-90 for hoodies, crewnecks and zip-ups. You can download Quick's latest mixtape "Skyed Up" here and his next project will be dropping sometime in the fall. Vault NYC is at 2498 Frederick Douglas Boulevard between 133rd and 134th Street in Harlem. Check out the photos below for more from the event and detail shots of the vitaminTHICK product. Get 'em before they're gone.
