Sports and fashion have often been partners. The recent athleisure trend has linked the two closer than ever. Mitchell & Ness, the long-running jersey manufacturing company, has partnered with artist Hebru Brantley to create a capsule collection of fashionable jerseys. The pieces blend sports, fashion, and contemporary art to create an iconic clothing line.
Mitchell & Ness was founded in 1904 by Frank Mitchell and Charles Ness in Philadelphia, PA. The two created Mitchell & Ness Sporting Goods, specializing in creating uniforms for local teams. In 1933 they made their NFL debut, starting a 30-year-long partnership with the Philadelphia Eagles. Mitchell & Ness also outfitted the Phillies baseball team and the Philadelphia Athletics. The company’s mission shifted in 1985 when Mitchell & Ness started repairing and refurbishing vintage jerseys. Today, the Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Co. offers authentic vintage jerseys and has done fashion collaborations with the MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA, and MLS.
The new capsule collection in partnership with Hebru Brand Studios encompasses a line of diverse pieces. The collection includes statement pieces like a satin jacket, shooting shirts, jerseys, and shorts. Prices range from $140 to $200. Brantley chose to focus on celebrating his hometown of Chicago, IL in the collection. Some of the pieces reference The Chicago Defender, an African-American newspaper founded in 1905 and known as the most influential Black newspaper during the early to mid-20th century. The collection also features reimagined versions of basketball team logos from The Black Fives Era, which refers to the time period in which basketball was introduced to Black communities beginning in 1904. The inspirations for the collection give it a deeper meaning and connection to sport and art history.
Brantley, the collection’s creator, is a multi-disciplinary artist who works in several different mediums. He recently directed a short film called Erax, which premiered in 2022. His works tend to include a narrative and feature recognizable Chicago icons and history. Brantley himself is considered a hero in the city, constantly working to uplift the Chicago community and the city’s rich history. His style is heavily influenced by the South Side of Chicago’s AfriCOBRA movement of the 1960s and 70s. Brantley has been featured in The Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The New York Post, and on CNN. His works are collected by the likes of Lebron James, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Lenny Kravitz, and George Lucas.
With the capsule collection, Brantley is expanding his work in the fashion world. He is currently selling four pieces from the collection on the website for Hebru Brand Studios. In addition to the Mitchell & Ness pieces, Brantley also sells his own clothing merch on the site. You can also view his extensive list of exhibitions, ranging from 2011 to the present.
Blending the worlds of sports, fashion, and art seems like a daunting task, but Brantley knows how to work with unusual mediums and concepts. The capsule collection appeals to anyone interested in retro sports, Chicago, or just looking great. Hebru Brand Studios and Mitchell & Ness have created something timeless, meaningful, and fashionable with their capsule collection.
Source link
