NEW YORK — Carmelo Anthony took the day after the official end of New York Fashion Week to unveil his latest forays into fashion.
The NBA All-Star and new member of the Houston Rockets took over a space in the Meatpacking District to introduce Melo Made, an ongoing series of brand collaborations with some of the athlete’s favorite fashion brands.
Although Anthony has been associated with everyone from Ultra Sheen and Goorin Bros. hats to Ermenegildo Zegna over the years, this marks his first multibrand collaboration in ready-to-wear and accessories.
The interactive presentation showcased his lines with Rag & Bone, Jordan Brand, Rochambeau, Goorin Bros. and Famous Nobodys, a line created by Christian Vazquez, brother of Anthony’s estranged wife La La Anthony.
“I’ve been around fashion for a while, observing and being involved, but taking my time and figuring out what I can do to differentiate myself from what everybody else is doing,” Anthony said before the event. “I found out a lot of brands wanted me to do collaborations, capsules and lines, so I said, ‘why not make this my own: Melo Made/House of Melo, and just put all the brands under one roof.’”
As reported, the first drop will be the Rag & Bone and Jordan Brand collection of sneakers and T-shirts, including a new interpretation of the Air Jordan XX, and a separate five-piece apparel collection.
“Rag & Bone was very supportive in stepping up to the plate and saying we want to do one of our first capsules with you,” Anthony said, noting that the collaboration has been “in the works for years.”
He chose the other brands because they “were close to my heart at the time. It was just kind of a mash pit, just go and create something I thought consumers would like and my fans would appreciate, put it all together and create this moment.”
Anthony worked with each brand on the design, fabric selection and addition of details that spoke to him personally. That includes the use of his jersey number, 7, throughout the collaboration product.
“It was imperative we created authentic pieces, representative of each brand’s unique DNA and my style,” he said “My name is on it, so I want it to reflect who I am, what I am, what I am thinking, and my vision of fashion at this point in time.”
To introduce the merchandise, he opted for a presentation rather than a runway show. The event still drew a lot of star power including La La Anthony; her costars in the Starz series, “Power,” and a slew of NBA players including James Harden, Tim Hardaway Jr., P.J. Tucker, Tyrone Nash and Chris Brickley, who showed up to support their friend.
James Harden joins Carmelo Anthony at the Melo Made launch.
Sansho Scott/BFA.com
The collections will drop once a month with Rag & Bone and Jordan being first later this month. Much of it will be sold online, but will also be available in select retail stores such as the Rag & Bone fleet, Jordan Brand stores and the Famous Nobodys store in the South Bronx.
Rochambeau cofounder Laurence Chandler said he got to know Anthony after he had attended several of his brand’s fashion shows. “He’s the coolest guy and a legend to me,” he said. They worked together to create the collection that was built on the idea of “Club Melo,” he said.
Rochambeau’s Laurence Chandler with Carmelo Anthony.
Sansho Scott/BFA.com
“I asked him where the coolest spots were for him around the world where he would wear these clothes, so it was inspired by these private clubs,” Chandler explained.
Although the collection is around 25 pieces, he said it will launch with around seven to 10 in mid-November. It will be offered on the Rochambeau web site as well as at The Webster “and maybe one other store,” he said.
Most of the apparel had a streetwear edge. Famous Nobodys’ offering is unisex and includes camo jackets, suede tracksuits and related pieces that were styled on men and women.
Now that Melo Made has gotten off the ground, Anthony can gear up for the NBA season, which starts on Sept. 25. Last month he signed a $2.4 million, veteran’s minimum deal with the Houston Rockets for one year.
“The season starts soon,” he said, “but don’t remind me, let me get my two weeks in. I’ve been focusing on this for the past year and change, and now that it’s finally here, today is the moment.”
The plan for Melo Made is for Anthony to choose collaborators to work with during each fashion week and continue to offer monthly drops of the collections throughout the year.