The Starter + Villa Clubhouse debuts at the Paramount Hotel in New York City
Shot and edited by Fabian Pacheco
With the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend in New York City just a week away, things are abuzz in the Big Apple. To kick things off, Villa has teamed up with Starter once again to present their very first Pop-Up shop in NYC. The shop–dubbed the #SVClubhouse on social media–is located at the Paramount Hotel in Times Square, and they kicked off their first day with sounds from DJ Mode and complimentary drinks hosted by Grey Goose VX. The artistic mastermind behind the “New York State of Mind” décor, Laurence “Naturel” Atoigue, premiered his mosaic-like backdrop — very reminiscent of NYC underground transit art; along with historical basketball-inspired portraits. In attendance to interview Mr. Atoigue were none other than Premium Pete and Reggie Osse of The Combat Jack Show podcast.
The alluring display of the shop is sectioned out into three divisions. There is a re-release of both the “Big East” (UCONN, Villanova) and “Forgotten Franchises” (Vancouver Grizzlies, Seattle Supersonics) packs, as well as, the launch of the fascinating “Slam Dunk” pack. The “Slam Dunk” bomber jackets come with a vintage Slam Dunk contest moment stitched into the jacket. Just before you slip on your Atlanta Hawks bomber, you’ll see Spud Webb throwing down one of his signature jams. Pretty ill. Villa also presented a re-release of their most recent shoe collaborations: the Timberland “Sweet Potato” 6” Boot and the Allen Iverson-inspired Reebok “A Day in Philly” Pump Question hybrid. Correspondingly, they showed off their new “Emerald” Timberland collaboration on the shelves and sold a few to a couple trendy visitors.
Items from the “Big East”, “Forgotten Franchises” and the “Slam Dunk” packs range from $100 to $150, both Timberland collaborations are approximately $195 and the Reebok Question Pumps are $125. All can be found online or at any Villa store near you, including the Pop-Up shop at the Paramount Hotel, which we urge you to visit if you’re reading this.
Open from Sunday-Thursday from 11 am-8 pm, or Friday & Saturday from 11 am-10 pm until February 15.
-Meagan Eccleston (@indigosys)
