Jimmy Butler for Rhone

Menswear DTC Rhone has bought into the basketball craze as well, bringing on NBA star Jimmy Butler as an investor and business partner.
Menswear DTC Rhone has bought into the basketball craze as well, bringing on NBA star Jimmy Butler as an investor and business partner.
The baller will also spearhead his own vertical within the brand’s existing assortment, and contribute to Rhone’s social channels including its content platform, The Pursuit.
“The opportunity to play an active role in the development of Rhone is something I’m passionate about and looking forward to accelerating the growth of an incredible company.”
According to Rhone, Butler will have a hand in the design and marketing of the brand’s forthcoming lines, and will help lead community outreach programs like a summer basketball clinic for underserved kids.
On Monday, Ralph Lauren announced a new partnership with MLB, launching three limited collections in partnership with three of baseball’s most well-loved teams.
The first capsule—which includes Polo shirts, satin jackets, fleece sweatshirts and New Era baseball caps for adults and kids—will feature the color ways and logos of the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals, the brand said.
The line of goods was inspired by Mr. Lauren’s own love of America’s favorite pastime, the brand added, adding that the billionaire fashion mogul idolized Yankees players like Mickey Mantle.
To honor the company’s 50th anniversary in 2018, Mr. Lauren was asked to throw the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium.
The Americana-inspired label’s newest offering stays true to its heritage even as it exalts baseball’s best, blending Ralph Lauren color ways like navy and forest green with the teams’ own signature hues.
Future collections will include merch repping the Boston Red Sox and others.
Available on RalphLauren.com and select brand-owned stores, as well as MLBShop.com, the MLB Flagship store in New York City, Macy’s, Bloomingdales and select specialty stores across the globe, the pieces range in price from $49.50 to $498.
The brand’s signature Polo shirts, bearing the teams’ logos and mascots, retail for $148.
Meanwhile, the all-silk jackets, emblazoned with team names, retail for $498.
To kick off the collection’s release, Ralph Lauren has commissioned wallscapes and artist murals in the cities where the sports teams are located, and the company’s Airstream trailer will go on a cross-country tour, offering ballpark-themed concessions at locales like Chicago’s Gallagher Way near legendary Wrigley Field.
Ralph Lauren has also designed team-themed Polo Bear shirts and sweatshirts, featuring the brand’s teddy bear mascot.
The lace-up ankle boot silhouette features a red Rawlings tag on the tongue, numbering on the collar that mimics that found on the baseball love, a red contrasting heel and stitching, and two pairs of laces that mirror those found in baseball gloves.
To celebrate Father’s Day, the two American brands have teamed up to create the Rawlings x 1000 Mile collaboration boot, which honors baseball and the bonding moments it serves to create between fathers and families by updating a Wolverine favorite.
The all-American brand selected Golden State Warriors power forward and three-time league champion Draymond Green as the face of two NBA-themed apparel collections.
The line includes co-branded products like long and short-sleeve hooded sweatshirts, crew neck sweatshirts, long and short-sleeve T-shirts, sweatpants and shorts bearing the NBA’s signature logo along with the emblems of its famed teams, including the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors.
The spring line, which launched in February, featured Green along with a cast of other notables, like NBA G League forward Isaiah “Zay” Todd, Grammy-nominated rap artist Aminé, and jewelry designer Greg Yuna.
Items in the range retail for $88-$178.
A second collection will launch in October, the brand said.
LVMH-owned luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton is doubling down on its collaborative partnership with the NBA.
Virgil Abloh called the line an exploration of “our collective memories of the two cultural institutions”—Louis Vuitton and the NBA— “around the time of 1990s’ basketball mania.”
For press conferences, Abloh and team infused formal suiting with a 1990s boxy sensibility, paired with a sleek overcoat. Meanwhile, an embellished bomber nods to the jackets frequently worn by players throughout the era.
The collection also features leather bags, like ball pouches and carriers, along with keepalls featuring grained leather that evokes the feeling of a basketball. Some styles even feature netting inspired by basketball hoops.
The line’s new footwear offering is a pair of derby lace-ups featuring the Louis Vuitton monogram and rubber lug soles.