BrandBlack AW19 Press Preview
BrandBlack AW19 Preview “Yellow Winter”
BrandBlack Creative Director Billy Dill and Founder David Raysse via Instagram
Traveling from Paris to NYC, athleisurewear label BrandBlack recently collaborated with the creative minds behind 180 the Store and Kinfolk, presenting the AW19 drop “Yellow Winter” in a private preview for press, buyers and sneakerheads.
“Yellow Winter”
The walls of 180 The Store, a Tribeca installation and pop-up space, displayed the works of analogue Photographer Jack Bool, whose subtle hues and unique eye for shapes and object inspired the collection and visual for the SS19 lookbook. In an interview with It’s Nice That, Jack Bool shares “I use art pictures in an editorial context”, “contextualizing images to contradict their initial function intrigues me”. His images juxtapose beguiling still-life, landscapes, high gloss fashion images and iPhone shots, to create smooth and cohesive series.”
This season boasts a continuation of the success from recent collaborations with streetwear brands like BNY Sole Series, Commonwealth LA and haute-urban designer with a political stance, Willy Chavarria. AW19 offers the return of some of BrandBlack‘s best selling silhouettes:
Aura – A chunky Vibram Rolling Gait sole system sitting below offers functional support while tapping into a popular on-trend industry aesthetic.
NOMA – Full grain Nappa Leather + Nubuck overlays
Cresta – Neoprene + sock with High traction Vibram outsole
Chopper and Sierra – Casual and ultralight trail runner with 4-way stretch breathable upper.
Milspec – Boot with a maximal cushion midsole w/ high traction rubber Vibram outsole.
Tabi – A water-resistant one-piece tubular knit upper accented with neoprene harnesses.
Keeping It In The Family:
A small team launched BrandBlack in the Fall of 2013. Founder David Raysse has a 20-year history in the #sneakergame. Beginning his career under FILA in the ‘90s, designing the iconic Grant Hill II – Raysee then transitioned to Adidas, Sketchers and Big Baller Brand. While under the mentorship of internationally acclaimed, multi-disciplinarian French Designer Phillipe Stark, Raysse later included veteran footwear designer Billy Dill as Creative Director.
“My family was heavily connected to fashion — my father was one of the founders of Kenzo, and my mother was a model in Paris in the ’70s,” Raysse said in an exclusive interview with FootwearNews. “I played high school and college basketball, and was a complete sneakerhead before the label [Brandblack] existed.”
RTW Launch + The Future:
2014 marked their premiere of the performance wear apparel line, in addition to casual and basketball sneakers. SS15’s “Future Legends” lookbook was inspired by “the notion of what basketball might look like in the year 2025. As such, conventional sportswear items meet edgier pieces of fashion-informed streetwear, with technical fabrics, heat-sealed seams and geometric lines all playing a part in the futuristic, austere look.” via HighSnobiety
Billy Dill and David Raysse at Santa Ana store Launch, 2018
About:
“We envision a future that is distinctly human, where life leads design and people precede product. Our small and nimble team works harder and smarter to infuse simplicity and seamlessness into everyday life; to reunite style and substance; to find a natural harmony between technology and humanity; to bring our vision of the future one step closer to reality.”
WE ARE THE EXCEPTION TO THE EXPECTED – BrandBlack
Launched in 2013, BrandBlack now sells in over 500+ doors in more than 30 countries. Pieces can be viewed on the homepage and seasonal collections and collaborative pieces are sold on some of my favorite global fashion marketplaces including: Kith, END., and Farfetch