Pharrell Throws a Pitch, Anne Klein’s New Face, Hoka’s Extreme Deal

PLAY BALL: Pharrell Williams had the distinction of throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Monday for game one of the New York Yankees and New York Mets “Subway Series” this week.

The Bronx Bombers pulled out a 4-to-2 victory over their New York City rivals hailing from Queens, but long before Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit his 47th home run this season in the third inning, Williams, joined by his son, Rocket, entered the annals of first-pitch history.

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Before the game, Williams prepared for his ceremonial toss with Dominican pitcher Luis Severino to some of his tunes like “Feels,” his song with Calvin Harris, Katy Perry and Big Sean on Harris’ 2017 album “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1,” and took to the mound to hit song “Frontin’” with Jay-Z from 2003.

Masato Onoda/WWD

Williams has many reasons from this year alone to throw the first pitch at the game. One could be the return of his Something in the Water festival in Washington, D.C., during Juneteenth weekend this year or to promote his skin care line Humanrace’s entry into body care.

Or it could’ve been to celebrate his Nature’s Escape science and nature exhibition at the Something in the Water festival created by Stem, a pest control brand from SC Johnson and Williams’ educational organization Yellow. “They were one of the many brands to be involved,” Williams said about Stem and the exhibition. “The festival wasn’t just selling tickets but was about community.”

But the pitch was actually to celebrate the Yankees’ collaboration collection with streetwear label Billionaire Boys Club, one of Williams’ first ventures outside of music almost 20 years ago.

“George Steinbrenner reached out,” Pharrell said about the initial idea. “It started two and a half years ago and to see it finally come into fruition is awesome. It’s two brands born in New York, one is obviously much older and has decades of heritage and then there’s Billionaire Boys Club, which is also approaching its second decade.”

The collection is comprised of apparel and accessories merging the Yankees’ century-long history and New York City touches with Billionaire Boys Club’s signature motifs. A white T-shirt has the Yankees logo in Billionaire Boys Club’s galaxy pattern, a navy T-shirt has the brand’s logo on the front and the brand’s astronaut logo and the franchise’s logo overlaid. A navy T-shirt and hoodie both feature the New York Yankees name written in the Billionaire Boys Club font, and a pair of sweatpants bear an astronaut over a baseball field map with the team lineup being the Billionaire Boys Club mantra, “Wealth is of the Heart and Mind, Not the Pocket,” which also appears under the bill of their co-branded snapback caps.

Accessories include a co-branded coffee cup designed like a New York City disposable coffee cup, replacing the phrase “We are happy to serve you” and mini mugs with the Yankees logo on one side and the Billionaire Boys Club name and astronauts on another side; an astronaut toy with catcher’s glove; a duffel bag, and a helmet bucket.

“To get these two brands together is an honor for me,” Williams said. “I’m from Virginia, I didn’t think music would take me to doing so many things like making clothes.”

Williams mentioned his friend and frequent collaborator Jay-Z releasing his own cap and collection with the Yankees more than 10 years ago and how it “transcended the sport,” but what drew the producer and entrepreneur to the Yankees was the logo. He had a Yankees jacket by Starter that he put his spin on for this collection that has the phrase “Wealth Is of the Heart and Mind, Not the Pocket,” and the “V” hand sign from Pharrell’s music label Star Trak, the Yankees name and patch on the sleeve and an astronaut at bat on the back.

Will more collaborations be in the works? “We hope so,” said Williams, who admitted he doesn’t reveal too much about his projects until they will launch. “The Yankees are the world’s biggest sports franchise. Nothing is bigger or better. For me it’s such a blessing to participate and experience.” — OBI ANYANWU

NEW FACE: Actress Gina Rodriguez is the face of Anne Klein’s fall campaign.

The campaign, which breaks in the September issue of Harper’s Bazaar, was shot in New York City by photographer Mark Seliger. Rodriguez is featured wearing Anne Klein’s fall 2022 ready-to-wear, footwear, handbag, jewelry, eyewear, watch and outerwear collections. The collection is sold at stores including Macy’s, Dillard’s, Belk and online at Nordstrom, Amazon and Anneklein.com.

In addition to appearing as the face of the brand, Rodriguez will model the winning T-shirt design for Anne Klein’s Scholar Design Competition, which benefits the nonprofit Fashion Scholarship Fund. The winning design was created by Valeria Nicole, an FSF scholar, recent SCAD graduate and Puerto Rico native. The commemorative T-shirt will be on sale at Macy’s and Anneklein.com with a campaign that breaks in the October issue of T, The New York Times Style Magazine.

courtesy shot.

Rodriguez is best known for her leading role as Jane in the TV series “Jane the Virgin.” The Golden Globe-winning actress has also starred in feature films including “Filly Brown,” “Deepwater Horizon,” “Ferdinand,” “Annihilation,” “Miss Bala,” “Someone Great” and “Scoob,” and voiced the titular character of the Netflix animated action-adventure series “Carmen Sandiego.”

The 38-year-old Rodriguez chairs her own We Will Foundation, which was founded with her sisters and positioned to empower young Hispanic youth through arts and education, and has been an advocate of creating a seat at the table for Latin women in the production world of Hollywood.

“Gina exemplifies the Anne Klein brand ethos as she is a leader in her industry and a strong advocate for her community,” said Effy Zinkin, chief operating officer at WHP Global, owner of the Anne Klein brand. “We are honored to have her as the face of our new campaign and as our partner to help further the brand’s mission of encouraging, empowering and engaging women through content and causes that create and foster community.” — LISA LOCKWOOD

DANGEROUS RUN: The Hoka brand was founded in 2009 by Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard, two French ultrarunners who were desperate for a shoe that allowed them to run downhill on mountainous terrain with cushioning and stability.

So it’s not a huge stretch that the brand recently signed on as the premier footwear and apparel partner of the UTMB Mont Blanc and UTMB World Series, a trail running race series founded in the French Alps in 2003 with seven races around the world. The event culminates in what is billed as the toughest foot race in the world, the UTMB Mont Blanc, a 180-mile team event with 87,000 feet of climbing that started on Monday in Chamonix, France, and ends on Aug. 28. The race, where a Brazilian runner died in a fall on Monday, follows a death last year of a Czech runner.

But despite the tragedies involved in participating in the event, Hoka uses its association with the race to promote its partnership with the esteemed series and its trail running shoes. And on Friday and Saturday, the brand will open a newsstand pop-up in New York City on Houston and Lafayette Streets, an immersive outdoor viewing experience around the UTMB race with complimentary giveaways, prizes, photo moments and light refreshments.

As part of its sponsorship, Hoka provides an assortment of footwear and apparel to volunteers and select runners at all UTMB events and created a new assortment of products tied to the races.

Hoka One One — pronounced O-nay O-nay, a Maori phrase that means “fly over the earth” — was acquired by Deckers Brands in 2013 and is now approaching $1 billion in volume. Sales in the fiscal year ended March 31 jumped 56.1 percent to $891.6 million and the brand has done collaborations with Bodega, Moncler and others.

In a report released last week by StockX, the resale site, in 2022 Hoka experienced a 3,606 percent increase in growth on the secondary market. The next closest was Puma, which experienced growth of 415 percent last year, according to StockX. — JEAN E. PALMIERI

TAKING A RIDE: Scotch & Soda is embracing the popularity of cycling by partnering with fellow Amsterdam-based bike company, Veloretti, on a collection of electric and city bikes tied to the company’s rainwear capsule collection, Amsterdam Proof.

Veloretti has created six bikes for the collaboration that will be available for sale in 26 European countries. Designed for daily commuting, the bikes are made from solid aluminum with a powder-coated finish and feature both the Veloretti and Scotch & Soda logos. The limited-edition electric and city bikes will be available in a camouflage design with a green, yellow, brown and black palette also used in the Amsterdam Proof collection. The classic city bikes will be offered in Dutch green.

The electric bikes will retail for 2,699 euros, while the limited-edition city bikes will sell for 505 euros. The classic city bike will sell for 399 euros.

The Amsterdam Proof collection features unisex rainwear for adults and children and includes an oversize jacket with matching trousers, a poncho, bucket hat, body warmer and organic cotton hoodie. They sport graphics with messages such as “Good planets are hard to find” or “Our space on Earth,” and will be available on Scotch & Soda’s website as well as at its stores worldwide.

Stéphane Jaspar, Scotch & Soda’s chief marketing officer, said: “Amsterdam and bikes are simply inseparable. More than a mode of transportation, it’s a way of life in the city. We wanted to celebrate this together with Veloretti, who designs the sleekest and most stylish bikes in town, and bring joy to your daily commute here and abroad. With six different bikes in colors that match our latest ‘Amsterdam Proof’ rainwear collection, we will help you stay dry and smiling no matter the weather conditions this fall.”

Tom Wolters, Veloretti’s head of sales, added: “It was an easy decision to collaborate with Scotch & Soda. The look and feel of our Veloretti bikes match perfectly with the style of Scotch & Soda. This also goes for the idea to deliver a collection of limited-edition city and electric bikes in celebration of the launch of Amsterdam Proof. When riding your Veloretti, you want to look stylish, too. The unisex rainwear capsule collection therefore makes perfect sense to combine when riding the Scotch & Soda x Veloretti bikes, rain or shine.”

The bikes can be ordered online through Nov. 15 or on site in Veloretti’s Amsterdam flagship. — J.E.P.

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