As New York Fashion Week comes to a close, we decided to spend the last day kicking it with basketball star Carmelo Anthony as he showed off another side of his career: designer!
Yes, our boy Melo took NYFW by storm yesterday (Sept 13) as he debuted not one, but five different capsule collections under his Melo Made imprint. The collabs include jeans and cut-and-sew offerings with rag & bone, pieces with New York-made Rochambeau, headwear from fine hat retailer Goorin Bros, his own Famous Nobodys brand — a collaborative effort with brother-in-law Christian Vazquez — and the Jordan Brand offering we got a preview of not too long ago with his new signature Air Jordan 20 sneaker.
As Melo’s presentation commenced, which began to feel more like a day party as the drinks, food and live music flowed in unlimited quantities at Industria Studio Ten in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood, we got a chance to catch up with the star in between celebrating with close friends, including his Houston Rockets teammate James Harden and happily-united wife La La Anthony amongst others.
Here’s how Carmelo broke down his step forward into fashion and how it all came together:
“It started with [me] trying to redefine, deconstruct and then reconstruct a Jordan sneaker. Then I said, ‘Why not put another brand in it to make it work?’ I just needed Jordan Brand to have trust and faith in me that I would do the right thing. Ultimately, rag & bone turned out to be the perfect piece for [the capsule collection]. From that, we created the capsule as a seven-piece collection — I just wanted to keep it “7” with everything [Laughs]. From rag & bone and Rochambeau, to Goorin Brothers and my own brand Famous Nobodys, I wanted to show everybody where I’m at creatively. Each brand [in the presentation] has its own brand story. That’s what this show is all about; we want to show each brand’s story and identity. You can feel that for sure.”
— Carmelo Anthony, Melo Made
Of course, we had to get the homie’s take on what he’s most anticipating for fall, and to no surprise it was clearly the development of his own brand and collaborative efforts. “After seeing all of this [NYFW apparel], now I can really go and be creative and do my own thing” he said with the excitement of a man who has a clear understanding of how to play the game, both on and off the court.
He continued with his expectations for the upcoming seasons ahead by adding, “I think people see how serious this [fashion game] is to me, as well as the aesthetics of what I’m doing. It’s not just any type of brand, either. I’ve got rag & bone, which is considered super high-end, but also streetwear with Famous Nobodys, Goorin Bros. with the high-end hats, and Rochambeau which is street but high-end as well. I just wanted to show people my different mindsets when it comes to fashion and go with it. I’m gonna have fun with this regardless though, because I’m not on anyone else’s timetable. I don’t have a schedule to go by — if the line is ready, we dropping!”
As far as the future, Melo went on to confirm that more partnerships are definitely on the horizon: “Next year will be a whole different group [of brands] though.”
We can’t wait to pop up at the next one!
Follow Carmelo Anthony over on Instagram and Twitter to stay updated on all his future NBA and NYFW dealings.
Images: BFA
