Pharrell Williams is no stranger to innovation. Now, the founding member of The Neptunes is bringing his life story to the silver screen in his own special way. Williams announced on Friday that his biopic, Piece by Piece, will be a Lego film. The movie will capture the evolution of his life, including his time as a rapper and producer, the head men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton Men’s, and more. Pharrell unveiled the news on social media, saying, “Who would’ve thought that playing with Legos as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life. It’s proof that anyone else can do it too.” The movie poster summons his Minecraft-inspired debut Louis Vuitton collection. The film is set to hit theaters later this year on Oct. 11.

Stephen Curry May ‘Challenge’ WNBA Star Sabrina Ionescu to 3-point Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend

Stephen Curry wants to ensure his 3-point title is air-tight. During the Warriors‘ 134-133 loss to the Kings on Thursday night, Curry, who was mic’d up for the game, alluded to the prospect of squaring off against not only the best in the NBA over All-Star Weekend but also WNBA standout Sabrina Ionescu. “I think I’ve got to challenge her,” Curry said. The New York Liberty star took home the 3-point title during WNBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas last summer, tallying 37 points (a competition record). Ionescu confirmed her interest in the matchup on social media, saying, “Let’s getttttt it!! See ya at the 3 pt line.”

Justin Timberlake to Go on First Major Tour in Five Years

Justin Timberlake is heading back on the road. The former N’SYNC star released the single “Selfish” on Friday, his first new music in five years. Following its debut, Timberlake announced the “Forget Tomorrow World Tour,” which will kick off in Vancouver at the Rogers Arena on April 29 and run through July 9 in Lexington, KY. The tour will be in support of Timberlake‘s newest album, Everything I Thought It Was, which will be released on March 15. Additionally, JT will hit the stage as the musical guest on this weekend’s upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live. 

Axios Links with Amazon, Tom Brady, Chrissy Teigen & More for Entertainment Expansion

Axios is expanding its brand, as the digital news publisher announced Friday it will be stepping into the entertainment space. Ahead of the announcement, Axios secured several television projects with production studios founded by Tom Brady, Chrissy Teigen, and more. Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively revealed that Axios secured a distribution deal with Amazon for its first show, The Money Game, co-produced by Campfire Productions and Shaquille O’Neal‘s Jersey Legends. The show, announced yesterday, will dive into the world of NIL at LSU, a school that boasts some of the highest earners in the nation in Olivia Dunne, Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. The show will air on Prime Video. “Entertainment programming is a natural next step for Axios, using engaging documentary storytelling to make audiences smarter, faster about the ever-changing world around them,” Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei told THR. 

LVMH Posts Over $93B in Q4 Sales, Stock Jumps 12%

Luxury sales are on the rise. LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, Moët Chandon, and more, unveiled strong results for its Q4 earnings, outpacing expectations by posting $93.34 billion in sales. As a result, the stock surged as much as 12% during trading, adding $30 billion to its market cap. The strong report also fueled a trickle-down effect to other luxury brands, including Kering, Hermes, and Burberry.

Elon Musk Seeks to Challenge OpenAI with Major Fundraising Campaign for xAI

Elon Musk is looking to expand his footprint in the ever-growing world of AI. News broke Friday that Musk seeks to raise $6 billion for his artificial intelligence startup xAI. The Financial Times reports that Musk has courted funds from wealthy individuals around the world in recent weeks. With the cash infusion, he hopes to grow xAI into a viable competitor for OpenAI‘s widespread AI tools. The fundraising round reportedly is being conducted against a $20 billion valuation.

The post Pharrell Confirms Upcoming Lego Biopic, ‘Piece by Piece’ appeared first on Boardroom.

‘Hybrid work’ has multiple meanings in 2023.

For the most influential icons in pop culture, it means making moves and making bank in industries or arenas non-native to what made them famous. This past year, said partnerships took new shapes and took new heights.

From Travis Scott taking over the country club to Taylor Swift becoming the biggest name in football, 2023’s bingo card was more bizarre and brilliant than any analyst could’ve predicted.

To celebrate the year that just was, Boardroom breaks down eight of the biggest crossover moments in culture and commerce that defied expectations and creatively paved new ways for how icons operate in business.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

Pharrell’s Ascension at Louis Vuitton

When business was done on Blackberriess and Motorola Two-Way Pagers, high fashion was already calling Pharrell Williams.

Buzzed by Marc Jacobs — then creative director at Louis Vuitton — the musical multi-hyphenate was chosen to collaborate on a range of Millionaire sunglasses. Twenty years later, a new lens at LVMH finds Pharrell as the fearless leader for the heralded house.

Following the footsteps of the late, great Virgil Abloh, Pharrell’s appointment as LV leadership speaks to many shifts since his mid-aughts shades.

The rise of American — and African American — design directors at European luxury brands has been bubbling over the last decade, with Pharrell leading a list that still needs to grow.

Importantly, the appointment aligns with a more connected world where fashion and culture are less separated by hue or hemisphere.

Additionally, it erases the stigma that ‘celebrity’ is indignant to high fashion, proving all arts are the arts.

Always having an ear for what’s next sonically, Pharrell’s feel for what’s next aesthetically has positioned him as an ideal figurehead for where Louis Vuitton is now and where it’s going.

His ability to see past gender and genre has already led to creative campaigns, spot-on seedings, and an introductory show soundtracked by The Clipse.

Just as Abloh knew the symbiotic relationship between music and fashion far better than pattern-cutting or a Central Saint Martin’s degree could’ve got him, Pharrell’s exposure to creatives of all ilks is reshaping a $407 billion brand at the speed of sound.

The Family Business of Rihanna & A$AP Rocky

Bad Girl RiRi and Pretty Flacko have been making babies and millions for the past two years.

All the while, fans of each artist anxiously await albums with no release date in sight for either. Nevertheless, the two touted musicians have made more noise than most despite the power couple releasing fewer singles than almost all.

Simply put, it’s in their genes — or rather, their jeans.

In 2023, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky dominated headlines and affected bottom lines by both how they dress and the way they dress. Historically, no two artists have been better at mixing high and low fashion in the most influential of manners.

The same can be said for the deals, moments, and moves they make as a power couple.

Example: Rihanna performed two times in 2023: the Super Bowl Halftime Show and the Oscars. At half field, draped in Loewe and Alaïa, the stage and apparel were both mass and avant-garde all at once. The medley of hits was enough to skyrocket streams, sell collaborations, and roll out the red carpet for a return to PUMA.

That same energy is epitomized by her proud partner. While fans didn’t get Don’t Be Dumb in 2023, Rocky’s lone music video for the Pharrell-produced “RIOT” doubled down as a creative campaign for Beats by Dre. The meme-inspired visual was vanguard per usual, once again proving that Rocky’s release method and partnership approach are always off-kilter. This proved poetic when a series of paparazzi photos involving the PMF was reappropriated as a campaign for Bottega Veneta.

So, will 2024 see new music or new children for Rihanna and Rocky? That remains unknown. What we can expect from both is high-level PUMA partnerships that span fútbol to Formula 1, more money from FENTY and Gucci, and visual moments – both candid and campaign – that move the needle as much or more than record residuals will.

AIR Hits a Critical Mass

When word got out that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were making a movie about Nike courting Michael Jordan, the jury was hung among sneakerheads and casuals as if it’d be any good.

Surprise, surprise, it was awesome.

Amassing a 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and critical acclaim, AIR rose to the ranks of one of the most loved movies of 2023.

By investing heavily in casting and set design, the sneaker story served as a time machine back to the ’80s that was fun, fast, and just accurate enough. It appealed to fanatics and average watchers alike, casting a wide net despite being what was once considered a niche story.

Audience aside, AIR also made its mark in how it was released. Scoring well at SXSW, the $90 million project was shown at major theatres in an era where only Marvel movies are meant to perform. Additionally, Amazon streaming support provided another income and viewing lane.

Like The Last Dance, another wrinkle in the Michael Jordan legacy provided even more energy to shoe sales in a halo sense as Jordan Brand eclipsed $6.6 billion in its most recent fiscal report.

Nike Basketball’s NYC Takeover

Events and apparel are seemingly where the money is at in 2023.

Nike — the world’s most famous footwear brand — may not be selling out arenas but they are going big where IRL moments are concerned. From pop-up activations across the world to grassroots sweat sessions in major markets, the Swoosh knows that to matter most to its core customers they have to exist more than just online.

Ironically enough, the 2023 Nike World Basketball Festival was the exclamation point and antithesis of it all.

Hosting hoops’ next generation of boys and girls in tournament play in the Big Apple, the $186 billion brand built a hardwood court in front of the Lincoln Center, showcasing the past, present, and future of basketball products while streaming the games.

Though the action on the court was worth watching in person, it was one viral moment online that set it all off.

Taking a photo for the ages, the likes of Kevin Durant, Victor Wembanyama, Dawn Staley, Travis Scott, Devin Booker, Rakim, Dirk Nowitzki, Scoop Jackson, Jason Kidd, Chase B, Lil Yachty, Sue Bird, Ja Morant, Jadakiss, and dozens of other legends all posed on center court.

It was a moment no one saw coming, bringing together decades of influential figures in hoops, hip-hop, and culture in one marquee event.

At a time when advertising feels like a lost art, Nike just did it in the most meta of ways.

Taylor Swift Sweeps the Nation

Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.

If that’s the case, then Taylor Swift is the truth.

Hate it or love it, the country kid turned pop princess is the queen of selling out stadiums and making money off of music. She continues to crush physical sales at a time when even the biggest acts attain pennies off streams. The Eras Tour sold out more dates in the Superdome than the Saints did this season, set to amass even more money internationally in 2024.

While the music and theatrics were already enough to break the bank and amplify economies in every market she stopped at, the entire world stopped when America’s Sweetheart became entrenched in America’s Game.

Already infamous for dating A-list actors and Grammy Award-winning musicians, fans and bystanders collectively lost their minds when Swift began dating Travis Kelce. From a ratings standpoint, everyone ate — especially the star subject.

In today’s fragmented media landscape, most artists only own the timeline the day their album drops. Taylor on the other hand had national outlets covering her every move in a year where she only put out reissued releases.

Not too mention, it was all an encore to a $1 billion tour. Think selling out stadiums is impressive? Imagine making more noise nationally when appearing in the stands. Think the merch margins are good? Consider casually wearing a pair of New Balance 550s and stores selling out their stock.

When looking back at all the partnerships in 2023, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, or rather Taylor Swift x NFL, is about as big as it gets.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

Harlem Beats Bristol

Active athletes, retired rappers, and C-list comedians all have podcasts in 2023.

What few of them have is a studio show that positions them as pundits in a field they didn’t find fame in. In Feb. 2023, Cam’ron and Mase made a lane all their own in launching It Is What Is: an independently-produced sports’ news talk show that’s already incited a bidding war among buyers and a frenzy online.

By flipping the formula of First Take and Undisputed, Killa Cam and Murda Ma$e are giving fans exactly what they want but network TV could never provide: uncensored commentary cut with humor and context.

Rather than yell at each other for ratings or ride an agenda for acceptance, the Children of the Corn turned men on the mic are telling it like it is. Approaching half a million followers for the show’s IG account and the Come Talk 2 Me YouTube channel in less than ten months, the “Horse & Carriage” collaborators continue to rise to the top.

Music’s Superstars Takeover the Silver Screen

Superheroes and sequels are the surest things smoking when it comes to burning down the box office.

In 2023, another earner entered the chat: concert films.

Both Taylor Swift and Beyoncé rocked arenas all year long, creating commerce in every city they stopped in. While members of the Beyhive were known to budget thousands of dollars on flights, hotels, and outfits to see Mrs. Carter live, the long tail effect for those in attendance or living vicariously through social media was the return of the concert film.

This year, both Bey and Swift broke the bank by turning footage from their acclaimed tours to box office gold. Just the same, Travis Scott reverse-engineered the process by releasing a movie in accordance with his UTOPIA album as a means to set the stage for his CIRCUS MAXIMUS Tour.

Truth be told, the concept of a concert film had been around long before Beyoncé, Taylor, or Travis were born. However, the new stars putting a new spin on the old concept is a new business and perhaps a new precedent. Expect this trend to continue on the road, in theaters, and on streaming.

Cactus Jack Jumps into the Country Club

From Fortnite to Happy Meals, Travis Scott’s bread and butter in recent years has been feeding the youth collaborative product that applied his taste to consumer goods and experiences.

This year, Day 1 fans and new attendees to the party got their fix from concerts to clothing, music to movies. While the annual Air Jordan activations appealed to kids and adults alike, Travis’ most momentous collaborations in 2023 were targeted to a much more mature audience than those of previous years.

As a Nike partner, Travis parlayed his influence outside of the moshpit to take on tennis classics and golf spikes. From volleying with John McEnroe to taking swing lessons from Brooks Koepka, La Flame is slowly blazing a trail in markets saturated in wealth and staying power.

This timely ascent all came to a head in December by way of the Cactus Jack x Audemars Piguet Royal Oak: a $201,000 watch limited to 200 units. By adding collaborative cool to AP and amplifying it all with slightly more attainable merch, Travis proved that he could sell sneakers, sandwiches, and Swiss timepieces all in a matter of minutes.

Want More of The ETCs?

1

0

1023

post

6

OR

Tech Talk April 7, 2024

ChatGPT, Voice Engine, Sam Altman & More Updates from OpenAI

Deals & Investments April 5, 2024

From March Madness to Man United: Brands Make Fan Dreams Come True

Execs & Entrepreneurs April 5, 2024

Everything is On the Table for Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera & The Shop

Sports April 4, 2024

Boardroom Talks: Amar’e Stoudemire Always Understood the Game

Boardroom Investments April 2, 2024

CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit Returning in 2024

Sneakers April 1, 2024

LSU’s Mikaylah Williams is Jordan Brand’s Newest Face of NIL 

The post The ETCs Crossover: 2023’s Top Moments Bridging Sports, Entertainment & Fashion appeared first on Boardroom.

On a warm summer night in Paris, the constantly cool Pharrell Williams presented his first full collection with Louis Vuitton.

Almost 4,000 miles from his Virginia Beach birthplace, Skateboard P dropped into his appointment as menswear creative director at the French fashion house as a man on a mission.

Filling the size 12 sneakers of Virgil Abloh, Williams walked the Pont Neuf bridge with the confidence of a veteran and the reverence of a rookie.

Surrounded by friends, family, and fashion press, it was almost as if Pharrell had been there before.

It’s because he had.

Two decades prior to his directorial debut, Louis Vuitton handpicked the buzzing producer to work on a collaborative capsule of sunglass styles.

Inspired equal parts by Scarface and Biggie Smalls, Williams worked directly with Marc Jacobs to turn Ice Cream dreams into LVMH realities.

In celebration of P’s Paris debut, Boardroom breaks down the business behind his first foray with Louis Vuitton.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

Change Clothes

Marc Jacobs, creative director at Louis Vuitton from 1997 to 2013, was guided by the power of collaboration.

As early as 2001, Jacobs had taken the third-party approach by calling in Stephen Sprouse. The New York natives landed on graffiti inspiration, flipping LV’s logo and bag branding entirely on its head.

Not only was this rebellious when walking in a European empire, but Sprouse’s styling also went against everything corporate America stood for in regard to inverting IP.

Jacobs ate it all up, empowering Sprouse to revise the brand’s beloved luggage and accessories in a loud all-over font.

Appalling snobs and speaking to youth revival, it was the same energy as 2017’s Off-White x Air Jordan 1 almost two decades prior. More importantly, the shift took place in a stuffier space and more siloed times.

The imagination and audacity appealed instantly to artists and editors alike.

“The combination of the staid, old-school Vuitton luggage and the unique energy of Sprouse’s most typical, purest work makes both Sprouse and the luggage look somehow fresh,” Vogue’s Tama Janowitz wrote in 2001.

Over time, Sprouse’s LV line grew from a commercial statement to a revered collectible.

Pulling from the same playbook, Jacobs continued to work relentlessly while phoning friends long distance. Next up was Takashi Murakami, a pop artist from Japan.

Revising luggage and logos once again, 2003‘s iconic Monogram Multicolore transcended culture from Kanye West backpacks to Paris Hilton purses.

Jacobs was onto something and steadfast in moving the needle.

“I thought the way forward for Louis Vuitton was to collaborate with other creatives,” Jacobs recently told The New York Times. “It didn’t matter to me whether they were from music or art or other fashion designers, whether it was Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, or Pharrell.”

When it came to luxury leather goods, Jacobs cracked the code on how to reinvent classics through disruptive design that was fresh, collaborative, and commercially viable.

His next frontier was eyewear. His first phone call was Pharrell.

A New Lens

Born and raised in New York City, Marc Jacobs grew up amid the advent of American pop art and the birth of hip-hop.

In 2003, no one lived in that intersection more than Pharrell Williams. By that moment, Pharrell was the most trusted man in music, having co-produced smash hits for Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears.

Serving as one-half of The Neptunes, Williams was behind nearly half of the songs played on American radio and a fifth of the favorites on British airwaves in the early aughts.

He produced Prince remixes and *NSYNC singles. He led album rollouts for No Doubt and Jadakiss.

Pharrell was someone you could count on if you wanted your record to ring off and ring it up.

Inspired by his aesthetic, Jacobs rang Williams, calling for a meeting that would lead to a line of eyewear.

“Marc had seen a few pictures of me in sunglasses,” Williams told Women’s Wear Daily in 2004. “He wanted to know what my take on sunglasses would be like for Louis Vuitton.”

In an instant, the keys were tossed to Skateboard P.

“He pretty much let me go into my own world,” Williams continued. “I thought that was great. At the end of the day, he is Marc Jacobs and it is Louis Vuitton, and who am I for that matter?”

Who was Pharrell for that matter?

Topping the charts with his space-age sounds and falsetto singing voice, Williams was pop culture and counter-culture all at once.

Riding a similar creative current to Sprouse and Murakami before, Jacobs asked Williams and A Bathing Ape founder NIGO to bring new energy to eyewear at Louis Vuitton — a space the house played in but made less noise.

If early examples of energy from working with others was any indication, teaming with Williams and NIGO could be lucrative and expand another category.

Coming on the heels of collaborative collections with Sprouse and Murakami, LVMH’s operating income grew 11% in 2004.

Each entry from Sprouse and Murakami made noise by being rebellious and fresh. Through Pharrell, the idea of working with a musician — a hip-hop artist at that — could be radical and rewarding.

At the time, fashion houses were rarely calling rap recording artists to attend their fashion shows, let alone design their products.

With Pharrell came risk, but also a resume.

Having scored sneaker commercials for Nike Basketball and receiving his own Dunks, Pharrell was just beginning to leverage his cultural cachet in fashion to that of formal apparel deals with his newfound fame.

In the early aughts, Pharrell’s relationship with NIGO increased exposure to A Bathing Ape, providing the footing for a formal partnership that birthed Billionaire Boys Club in 2003.

“NIGO is like the glue to my ideas, but that’s not even giving it enough justice,” Pharrell said around 2005.

Forging ahead, BBC birthed Ice Cream — an adjacent apparel line with footwear licensed through Reebok. In a few short years, Pharrell was moving jeans in Japan and sneakers at Finish Line.

Prior to P’s path, Run DMC had an Adidas deal in the ’80s while the Beastie Boys brought esteem to XLARGE t-shirts in the ’90s.

In the early ’00s, Pharrell was living larger in each space and doing so internationally.

The radio resident finally had the backing of brands to create new worlds. Reebok was the first to take a big buy in on Pharrell.

The English sportswear company had just recorded $3.2 billion in sales in 2004, led largely by Allen Iverson but entering new markets by way of Williams.

Next was the Marc Jacobs-led Louis Vuitton. At that time, LVMH had soared to roughly $16.8 billion in annual sales. Through Pharrell, Marc Jacobs could elevate eyewear through collaboration in the same way he helped reinvent handbags.

The opportunity — and backing — was not lost on the forever faithful Pharrell.

Leveling Up

Pharrell Williams has never been in awe of Pharrell Williams.

“You have to understand, I am just a regular dude,” Williams told Vogue in 2004. “At the end of the day, this is all an incredible dream come true.”

When working with Louis Vuitton, NIGO, and Marc Jacobs, Pharrell saw sunglasses as a means to exude quiet confidence through loud, lavish luxury.

In interviews, the collaborators considered sunglasses a steroid of sorts to persona and personality.

Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton Millionaire model of sunglasses symbolized aspiration and arrival. They came in an array of bold hues, detailed in gold and going for $300 to $500 at retail.

“I told them specifically what pairs I wanted, and how I wanted the pairs to look,” Williams told WWD in 2004. “We discussed the weight, the glasses, and a lot of details.”

For Pharrell the designer, the focus was quality. For Pharrell the man, the opportunity was everything.

“The whole project is a total reflection of them giving me a chance,” Williams continued. “And I thought it was just great.”

Said to be a 50/50 blend between Tony Montana and The Notorious B.I.G. in oversized and outlandish aesthetic, the shades were instantly a hit and status symbol in hip-hop.

Wearing a pair of Millionaires was C-suite status without being boring. However, Pharrell’s early ambition was less about being an exec and more about being a student. In working with LVMH he now had the chance to learn from the best in the biz.

“Under the tutelage of Marc? He’s an amazing guy. He’s been so gracious and so generous with his intelligence and direction,” Williams told the AP in 2008. “I’ve learned a lot being here. Vuitton for me is a school.”

While Vuitton served Skateboard P, the exchange was mutual.

Making the most of the storied history of eyewear in hip-hop and the $80 billion luxury goods market in the early aughts, sunglasses proved the perfect value proposition for Pharrell and Louis Vuitton.

With high fashion shades said to have a 64% profit margin in years past, the item of choice was both safe and statement.

It was an entry-level look into an aspirational world that is now run by hip-hop icons with fewer borders than before.

“Sunglasses are basically a reflection of how you feel,” Williams told WWD in 2004. “They encourage you to really be you. It’s kind of like a steroid to your personality.”

From Kool Mo Dee to D4L, sunglasses long held a place in hip-hop expression — as did Louis Vuitton, if never at once.

Dating back to the days of Dapper Dan, Slick Rick, and Rakim, Louis Vuitton has long been loved by hip-hop in spirit and aesthetic.

Through Pharrell, the longstanding relationship became a profitable partnership for the Bronx-born genre and French fashion house.

It was good business for all and a sign of more to come.

Run it Back

Marc Jacobs cracked a code when he brought collaboration to Louis Vuitton.

For 15 years, Murakami’s imagination sold Monogram Multicolore leather goods in abundance.

Less than a decade after its arrival, Sprouse was given a second at-bat, hitting home runs with the same font scoring everything from shirts to scarves.

Hip-hop artists loved Louis Vuitton with a feeling few competitors could copy. Luggage made by Murakami graced Summer Jam stages while everyone from Fabolous to Wale wore Sprouse styles.

Whether sitting sideline at Fashion Week or working in-house with Marc Jacobs, Pharrell was hip to the shape-shifting ability of Louis Vuitton.

“Though it’s a company with a very rich history and lots of tradition, it’s very open to new ideas,” Williams wrote in 2012’s Places and Spaces I’ve Been. “You can play around with it — have fun the way Marc does with the bags and his collaborations with artists.”

Jacobs, someone Pharrell constantly calls one of his heroes, saw how joyful high fashion could be when working with the right people at the right place.

“For me, Louis Vuitton is very fun and very modern,” Williams wrote.

In 2013, Jacobs left his position at Louis Vuitton while Williams continued to work with everyone from Chanel to Tiffanys.

The 2010s would double down on ideals of collaboration and high-fashion-meets-hip-hop partnerships, completely changing the landscape of style and the inspiration it recognizes.

Pharrell was first to have a seat at the table in some respects, taking notes in the moment but always cognizant of what could be next.

When working with Jacobs in the ’00s, it’s clear Pharrell was listening intently. However, it’s uncertain if taking a title at LVMH was ever on his vision board.

Though the likes of Ye, A$AP Rocky, and Virgil Abloh all deserve top-tier credit for merging the worlds of hip-hop and high fashion at the highest level, it was Skateboard P who hopped the fences first.

Just the same, it was Marc Jacobs who extended his hand.

“He was just so incredibly generous,” Pharrell told The New York Times’s Jon Caramanica in June. “To give me that opportunity when nobody had ever given any of us an opportunity to be creative.”

Fearlessly fluid yet uncommonly humble, Pharrell maneuvered the apparel industry in both hemispheres over multiple decades.

Save a Hype Williams music video or interlude on a Gangsta Grillz mixtape, he’s always walked the walk more than he’s talked the talk.

Having an ally in Marc Jacobs and a superfan in Virgil Abloh, Pharrell’s lack of Parsons pedigree may have caused concerns around fashion’s elite when appointed menswear creative director at Louis Vuitton earlier this year.

Earlier this week, his formal Fashion Week debut definitely heard more cheers than jeers.

What one didn’t hear was Pharrell making it about himself.

For over 30 years, Skateboard P has made a career of owning rooms he wasn’t supposed to be in, never being the loudest but always being the most curious.

It all started nearly 20 years ago when Williams made the most of his first high fashion foray.

“The whole project is a total reflection of them giving me a chance,” Pharrell told WWD in 2004.

Through Marc Jacobs and Millionaire shades, Pharrell influenced eyewear at Louis Vuitton as an entire category.

All these years later, he leads their entire empire from a menswear standpoint — a major cog of a conglomerate now valued at over $500 billion.

The storied sunglasses serve as a metaphor for his meteoric rise now more than ever.

“I guess it’s American ambition,” Williams continued to WWD in 2004. “These sunglasses are not about the struggle but about the celebration of making it in this world. Overall they have this statement: ‘I am going places.’”

From VA to Paris, ‘03 to infinity, Pharrell Williams is still going places — and taking hip-hop with him.

The post The Business Behind Pharrell’s Visionary Start at Louis Vuitton appeared first on Boardroom.

Pharrell Williams staged his first collection in his new role as the Men’s Creative Director at Louis Vuitton on Tuesday. His larger-than-life debut took place on the Pont Neuf on the first night of the 2024 Spring/Summer shows at Paris Fashion Week.

As models hit the stage in various iterations of a pixelated version of the luxury brand’s signature check, Williams’ famous friends, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and Tyler, The Creator, took over the front row to celebrate the collection.

Now, French fashion house LANVIN is seeking a similar effect. The luxury brand announced on Friday that Atlanta trap rapper Future will serve as the creative director for its upcoming LANVIN LAB collection.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

The luxury brand pointed to its roots in setting the foundation for the new venture and its corresponding appointment. Its founder, Jeanne Lanvin, envisioned the brand as “a creative hub for artists and designers,” the company said in a statement. Now, the upcoming LANVIN LAB will build on that tradition, creating a “space to dream and play.”

The first collection will center around music, making Future the perfect shepherd for its development. The two-time Grammy Award winner will “design a capsule collection celebrating ground-breaking and individualistic vision that bridges a gap between music and fashion.” It will include ready-to-wear fashion and accessories for men and women.

Through the years, Future has been a fashion icon, walking the runway in the Spring/Summer 2023 Hugo Boss show at Milan Fashion Week alongside the iconic Naomi Campbell. Additionally, he revealed on an episode of Complex’s ‘Sneaker Shopping‘ that he spends upwards of $300,000 on clothing each month.

LANVIN has slated the debut for August of this year, leaving fans of both the brand and rapper to wonder if Future will also line up new music to soundtrack his fashion debut.

The post LANVIN Taps Future as Creative Director for First LAB Collection appeared first on Boardroom.

Joopiter is holding its first-ever live auction next week, and the smallest item is a MSCHF bag that’s generating the biggest buzz.

MSCHF’s microscopic bright green handbag is smaller than a grain of sea salt, 657 by 222 by 700 micrometers, and is modeled after Louis Vuitton’s OnTheGo tote with the tiniest LV monogram embroidered on the piece. Legendary multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams is Louis’ head men’s creative director as well as the founder of Joopiter, a digital first auction platform that will soon release the full catalog of the auction titled Just Phriends, taking place from June 19-27. Pharrell’s friend Sarah Andelman, the founder of fashion brand Collette, is curating the auction collection that will preview at Paris’s Perrotin Gallery, coinciding with his first show at the helm of Louis Vuitton.

More details on the Joopiter auction drop and merch drops are forthcoming, but MSCHF’s bag is par for the course when it comes to the Brooklyn brand’s inventively absurd aesthetic. Previous drops have included $76,000 Birkinstock sandals made entirely from Birkin bags, and a pair of super customized Nike Air Max 97s containing holy water from the River Jordan that MSCHF called “Jesus shoes.”

The bag was reportedly created out of resin through a sort of 3-D printing for microscopic items called two-photon polymerization. The bright, somewhat translucent nature of the bag will make it more visible on a microscopic slide. MSCHF told The New York Times that the bag will be auctioned in a sealed gel case mounted under a microscope with a digital display. Because if you’re going to spend all that money on a bag, you might as well be able to see it, right?

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

The post Pharrell Williams’ Joopiter Wants to Sell You the World’s Tiniest Handbag appeared first on Boardroom.

It may as well be written in the US Constitution, or perhaps spray-stenciled on the back of it in margarita mix: when the mid-year dog days return, it becomes time once again to determine the elite tier of Songs of the Summer that capture the joyously carefree energy of these heady months.

And while not every year’s most popular warm-weather music ages well — 2013’s “Blurred Lines” will be studied and reckoned with by psychologists for a long time — the end of the school year and your thermometer’s mounting mercury have signaled that it’s time to think about anointing a new pantheon of tracks for 2023.

Fortunately, Spotify has already got a jump on things. Based on existing audience data and some predictive analytics, the streaming giant has already come in hot and humid with 20 picks it’s already backing as candidates for the Songs of the Summer honor roll by the time all’s said and done.

From cathartic hip-hop from Lil Durk, Aminé, and 21 Savage to breezy flourishes from the words of pop, Latin, and electronic, check out the full list below.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

Songs of the Summer 2023: Spotify’s 20 Best Predictions

All-time Spotify artist rankings and streaming numbers (as a lead artist only) are via ChartMasters as of June 12, 2023. Data not necessarily available for every artist.

So, did your top Song of the Summer pick make the list?

Blow us up on Instagram and Twitter @boardroom and let us know — and if you want to go deeper on Spotify streaming, don’t miss our rundown of the platform’s all-time most-streamed rappers.

Read More:

1

0

85

post

6

OR

1201

457

Entertainment March 28, 2024

Aux Money: Teezo Touchdown’s Evolution Will Be Televised

Music March 14, 2024

Aux Money: Tay Keith is Always Staying a Step Ahead

Entertainment February 29, 2024

Aux Money: Don C is Just a Chicago Kid Living the Dream

Music February 15, 2024

Aux Money: Babyface Ray on Detroit, Wemby, Fashion & More

Interview

Entertainment February 14, 2024

Lil Dicky is Dave Burd’s Present, but His Future is Firmly in Film

Music February 10, 2024

How Roc Nation Reinvigorated the Super Bowl Halftime Show

The post Anthems & Algorithms: Spotify Predicts 2023’s Songs of the Summer appeared first on Boardroom.

With great power comes great responsibility — at least that’s what what the Spider-Man movies say. When it comes to the music industry, artists, producers, singers, and songwriters know the power of their platform and how important it is to use their voices to bring attention to the issues that matter.

Black, white, cisgender, transgender, female, male, or anyone in between, music is a language that everyone speaks. But what happens when those curators of the universal tongue feel censored and punished for exercising their right to free speech?

On April 26, The Recording Academy built a bridge between political figureheads and industry professionals to discuss creators’ rights within the entertainment community at the 21st annual Recording Academy® GRAMMYs on the Hill® Awards. Specifically surrounding the rights of music people and artist advocates, the celebration took place in Washington, D.C. and honored 13-time GRAMMY®-winning artist Pharrell Williams, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), who have each championed philanthropic and policy efforts that support the rights and well-being of creators.

“This is where rubber meets the road,” Recording Academy President Panos A. Panay told Boardroom during a red carpet interview. “Unless you have a solid legal framework to advocate for creative’s rights that protects creative expression, you can’t really have a creative industry. You can’t really have a music industry, and you can’t really have artists that aspire to do this for a career.”

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

While he emphasized the importance of having more than just lobbyists and politicians in the room, Panay noted that the purpose of GRAMMYs on the Hill is to demonstrate the power to ensure the protection of creators and their intellectual rights. Without that, he told Boardroom, there would be no functional ecosystem within the music industry.

“GRAMMYs on the Hill really celebrates that, as well as the fact that music is the most powerful diplomatic tool that I believe exists,” Panay added. “There is soft power versus hard power. Besides artists, it’s important that we celebrate the contributions of lawmakers that really are responsible for this foundation that enables us to all have an industry.”

As a GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter herself, Victoria Monét prides herself on using her art as a form of creativity and positive messaging in addition to advocating for her communities as a queer Black woman in music. In an ideal world, the “Ass Like That” artist envisions an inclusive community within the industry that unites people of all ethnic, religious, and gender-expansive backgrounds. Whether it’s picking a female engineer for her forthcoming album Jaguar Part II or including non-binary and queer folks in accompanying visuals, the singer makes an effort to pave the way for folks who do not normally get their well-deserved shine.

“I’m just trying to make sure the playing field is equal and break barriers for people where I’m from, so I’m excited to be here to see more positive change and be an advocate for future generations,” Monét told Boardroom on the red carpet. “I think music affects so many people and it’s a part of the fabric of America. I think that this event is where politics and music meet and it’s important for us to have a humanizing understanding about each other and what we need from each other.”

Specifically alluding to legislation such as the Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act, the Restoring Artistic Protections (RAP) Act, and the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA), Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. expressed the importance of a boardroom that’s inclusive of Black and brown individuals.

“You don’t get great outcomes unless you have different perspectives and different viewpoints,” he said. “Black and brown people are instrumental in our industry, as they are in any industry, but specifically in music and entertainment. You look at music right now, 34-35% of music created and consumed is Black music, so how can you have any meaningful dialogue or conversation about music without Black and brown people?”

Aligned with the sentiments of the Recording Academy CEO, Tank and the Bangas frontwoman Tarriona “Tank” Ball added that Black women especially should be included in conversations about policy and advocacy in entertainment.

“We are the voice and the back and the legs and the mind and the mouth,” she said. “We influence so much. That’s why we have to be a part of the conversations.”

“We can’t just influence the clothes and the hair and the makeup. We have to influence the policy so that the women that’s coming behind us have more ground to stand on, especially more Black women. I personally think that we have to have more diversity in this game. They have so many amazing women that’s doing anything, and I wanna see ’em.”

For The Recording Academy’s Secretary/Treasurer on the Board of Trustees Om’Mas Keith, the relationship between the Black community and politics within the music industry does not begin and end with the RAP Act. Though the official reintroduction was announced swiftly following GRAMMYs on the Hill: Advocacy Day, he notes that rappers used their artistry for activism and advocacy far before 2023.

“There’s been a political connection with the hip hop community since its inception starting on local levels,” Keith told Boardroom. “I think I see that there will be more interaction between the hip hop community, obviously, and politicians in the coming years just because of the visibility, because of social media, because society is not having it anymore and they know it’s time. Everyone knows it’s time for a change. Of course, our politicians are elected leaders, like myself at the Recording Academy, and if they wanna stay in office, they better interact with the very people that are in their communities they are representing.”

Later in the evening, Pharrell was honored at the awards dinner for his philanthropy and advocacy through art, music, and creativity with the Creators Leadership Award. For Spotify’s Music Editorial Lead for Black Music & Culture, DJ Domo, honoring the “Number One” artist means more than just a plaque presented to him in a room filled with first-time meeting powerhouses.

“I love what P’s been doing. I honestly love what him and Pusha [T] have been doing,” she said of her fellow DMV native. “They’ve been doing a lot of work to come back home to represent Virginia, D.C., Maryland — all of it together. It’s been a really big bridge to build and I really love that they’ve been doing the work to uplift the artists that are from here and then bringing culture back here.”

The GIRLAAA Agency co-founder continued: “Considering where they’ve been and where they are, they don’t have to do that. It’s so, so, so important to build that because we lack a lot of resources and infrastructure so them taking the initiative to care, it means a lot. Having Something In The Water in [the] 757 is important. Having it last year in D.C. is important. If they don’t do it, who will?”

Read More:

1

0

6

post

6

OR

2128,4483

February 5, 2024

Taylor Swift Wins Big At the Grammys, Announces New Album

January 22, 2024

Travis Scott, Burna Boy Set to Perform at 2024 Grammy Awards

November 11, 2023

SZA, Victoria Monét Lead the Way in 2024 Grammy Nominations

Music November 10, 2023

Women Rule the Ranks in 2024 Grammy Nominations

October 12, 2023

Drake & 21 Savage’s ‘Her Loss’ Submitted for Grammy Consideration

Tech Talk September 10, 2023

Happy 25th Birthday, Google

The post Music & Advocacy Come Together at GRAMMYs on the Hill appeared first on Boardroom.

As the two-time Oregon High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year and prized recruit of the Pac-12’s Ducks, Jackson Shelstad is Oregon through and through. With his home state becoming one of the more recent ones to pass legislation allowing amateur athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness, the 4-star West Linn High School point guard is now building a brand portfolio with deep ties to Portland, which sits just 12 miles up the road.

After signing Oregon’s first-ever high school NIL deal in October with apparel company Portland Gear, Shelstad is now collaborating with Settlemier’s Jackets, a Portland-based, family-run premium letterman jacket brand that has worked with the likes of LeBron James (Nike x Tiffany & Co.), Serena Williams (Gatorade), and Pharrell Williams and Nigo (Billionaire Boys Club) among other global icons.

Shelstad’s connection to the James family in particular runs deep, as Oregon’s top recruit is already Klutch Sports Group client — the Rich Paul-founded firm brokered the deal with Settlemier’s — and after leading West Linn to an upset win over Bronny James’ Sierra Canyon High School earlier this season, the duo will now share the court this weekend for the USA team at the 2023 Men’s Nike Hoop Summit.

“When my family and I sat down to discuss NIL and what kind of partners I wanted to look at, I decided it was most important to look for partners that align with the same values that I do,” Shelstad told Boardroom. “I want to be authentic in this process and start to build longer-lasting relationships that work with me as I look to grow my brand and identity in this new space. I want to help tell impactful stories that connect to my community and be a local athlete that kids look up to and fans respect.”

As the brand’s first NIL athlete, Shelstad linked with Settlemier’s to create two exclusive jackets that celebrate his on-court accolades, including a custom chenille patch of Shelstad’s “JS” logo made with his creative director, Alex Hartman, and featuring patches highlighting the local, regional and national honors he’s tallied to date.

“The black jacket was really inspired by my high school journey at West Linn,” Shelstad said. “So many amazing memories with my teammates and accomplishing a lot of the goals I set for myself. As for the designs, I wanted my jacket to be different. I wanted it to be a premium, black-on-black jacket with larger patches. I also wanted to add details to the jacket that were unique to me beyond the classic state achievements, so we added and introduced my JS logo on the chest, which I’m excited about revealing.”

As he continued, “We added a Gatorade Player of the Year and Les Schwab Invitational MVP trophy, both achievements I wrote down as a kid that I wanted to accomplish. Finally, we added a hidden message, ‘The Separation is in the Preparation,’ which is a nod to my work ethic and time I spent in the gym. The jacket really came out as a piece of art and something special to remind me of my time and journey at West Linn High School.”

In addition to the major hardware earned this season, Shelstad averaged 28.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on the season, leading West Linn Lions to a 32-2 record and a playoff run that ended in Oregon’s Class 6A state championship game.

Even though he’s due to make a 100-mile trip down to Eugene for his college career, it’s still about being true to the neighborhood.

“Partnering with local businesses is big for me also,” added Shelstad. “It’s about building the foundation through authentic partners in my community. I’m looking at partners who align with the person I am and the brand that I’m building. I’m looking for partners that want to think differently about NIL… I like the idea of being grassroots in nature but first-class in products and content. I want to lead by example and have fun doing it.”

Per company owner Aaron Settlemier — the third generation of his family to run the business — this is just the start of their partnership with Shelstad, who will star in a back-to-school advertising campaign with potential out-of-home placements around the Portland and Eugene areas. Additionally, future jacket design collaborations will coincide with moments in Shelstad’s life and career at the University of Oregon.

Unlike typical transactional NIL deals, this collaboration will evolve every year.

“We wanted this partnership to be as local of a story as possible,” Settlemier told Boardroom. “Part of our business ethos is amplifying where we come from. We always want to tell that story and shine a great light on this city, this state, and the people within it.

Every Settlemier’s jacket is cut, sewn, and assembled at their factory in the same Portland neighborhood in which Aaron grew up. It was only natural that their first NIL partnership would be with a local legend like Shelstad, who will now represent the United States in the Nike Hoop Summit, this weekend at the Moda Center in Portland.

Acting as an unofficial host of the Hoop Summit as the only participating player from Nike’s own home of Oregon, Shelstad will be joined on-court by top recruits like Isaiah Collier (USC), Justin Edwards (Kentucky), and DJ Wagner (Kentucky). This global stage is the perfect platform to debut his Settlemier’s jacket, a la LeBron showcasing his Nike x Tiffany & Co. letterman look during a Madison Square Garden visit earlier this year.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Settlemier’s Jackets (@settlemiers.jackets)

“I have vivid memories of my mother, Gloria, sewing names and numbers on team jerseys and cheerleading uniforms in the basement of our house night after night when I was growing up. Eventually, she was able to build the business to her goal of a complete varsity jacket factory,” Settlemier said. “When we see student-athletes like Jackson work so hard for his school, his craft, and his dreams, it reminds me of the work my mom put into making this company. He has a saying that made it onto the black-on-black letterman jacket, ‘The Separation is in the Preparation,’ and that says a lot about why he’s a good fit for us.”

More NIL Deals:

1

0

77

post

6

OR

356

April 6, 2024

DJ Burns Jr. Shines as NIL Star with Huge NCAA Tournament Run

Sneakers April 1, 2024

LSU’s Mikaylah Williams is Jordan Brand’s Newest Face of NIL 

March 23, 2024

Mikaylah Williams Joins Kiki Rice on Jordan Brand NIL Roster

March 19, 2024

UNC Star Deja Kelly Inks NIL Partnership with Tommy Hilfiger

Exclusive

Sports March 15, 2024

Curry Brand Signing MiLaysia Fulwiley Has Been a Long Time Coming

Sports January 9, 2024

Jordan Brand’s Booming Championship Roster

The post Oregon Hoops Commit Jackson Shelstad Achieves NIL Letterman Status appeared first on Boardroom.

Artist, producer, and songwriter Pharrell Williams is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his lifestyle brand Billionaire Boys Club with a digital experience hand-crafted for his fans.

Along with an interactive experience, the brand is also releasing a BBC20 shirt that reveals a new logo to celebrate the past two decades. For the web program, the page will spotlight the brand’s history, outline the successes, and highlight memorable moments.

“It’s amazing that we’ve continued to evolve and inspire and create all these years and still remain true to the brand. I get so much inspiration from the world and the amazing artists around me and that’s what has fueled a lot of our designs and collections,” Williams told VIBE. “My eternal thanks to our community of creatives and those who have supported BBC for the last 20 years.”

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

Pharrell and his co-founder Nigo started the brand in 2003 with the goal of bridging the gap between streetwear and luxury. Billionaire Boys Club has grown into something that leads fashion through the lens of streetwear being considered purposeful fashion.

“We raised the bar in terms of what was possible and guided consumers to good taste and a deeper understanding of living in style,” said Joseph Au, creative director for Billionaire Boys Club. “Nigo and Pharrell were and continue to be the pioneers. They energized and inspired a whole generation through the creation of the Billionaire Boys Club and ICECREAM in 2003. Today, we continue that trajectory and maintain that energy from the foundation of what our brand was built on.”

As Williams celebrates a major milestone, he will partner with artists to collaborate on re-releases of limited-edition merchandise. The BBC20 tees are available to order on March 30 at the BBC Icecream locations in New York and Miami.

The post Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club Celebrates 20 Years appeared first on Boardroom.

Pharrell Williams is no stranger to high fashion. A long-time fixture in the front row at fashion shows from New York to Milan, Williams is stepping into a new role with one of the world’s most prolific fashion houses, Louis Vuitton. The Paris-based brand announced Williams as the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear on Tuesday.

“Pharrell Williams is a visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art, and to fashion – establishing himself as a cultural, global icon over the past 20 years,” the statement read. “The way in which he breaks boundaries across the various worlds he explores aligns with Louis Vuitton’s status as a Cultural Mason, reinforcing its values of innovation, pioneer spirit and entrepreneurship.”

Williams will curate his first show at June’s Paris Fashion Week.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

The move is Williams’ most recent foray into fashion. He founded his own fashion and beauty labels, including Billionaire Boys Club and skincare collection Humanrace. He also has previously collaborated with a number of brands, including Adidas, LVMH’s Tiffany & Co., and Chanel. However, it is not even his first creative connection with Louis Vuitton. Pharrell worked with the brand previously, laying the foundation for the future.

“I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men’s Creative Director. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.” declares Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Louis Vuitton (@louisvuitton)

Pharrell will honor a long legacy of icons who have held similar positions for the fashion brand in the past. Virgil Abloh served as the artistic director for the menswear line from 2018 until his untimely death in 2021. With the news, LVMH has found his replacement. Williams and Abloh had a close creative relationship, which is expected to be reflected in Pharrell’s work with the brand.

The news comes just two weeks after KidSuper’s Colm Dillane took over the creative direction for its Fall/Winter 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week. The move led many to wonder if the Brooklyn-based designer was poised to step into a more permanent role. With Williams’ appointment, questions remain about KidSuper’s future with the brand.

Read More:

1

0

1023

post

6

OR

60154

Tech Talk April 7, 2024

ChatGPT, Voice Engine, Sam Altman & More Updates from OpenAI

Deals & Investments April 5, 2024

From March Madness to Man United: Brands Make Fan Dreams Come True

Execs & Entrepreneurs April 5, 2024

Everything is On the Table for Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera & The Shop

Sports April 4, 2024

Boardroom Talks: Amar’e Stoudemire Always Understood the Game

Boardroom Investments April 2, 2024

CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit Returning in 2024

Sneakers April 1, 2024

LSU’s Mikaylah Williams is Jordan Brand’s Newest Face of NIL 

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

The post Pharrell Williams Gets Creative with Louis Vuitton appeared first on Boardroom.

CFG Bank has signed a multi-year agreement for the naming rights of the new Baltimore Arena, global venue development company Oak View Group announced on Wednesday. The announcement came as the original building marked its 60th anniversary.

Oak View, Fundamental Advisors, and 35V are privately funding the renovation to the arena, located at 201 W. Baltimore Street. The group will then lease the building for the next 30 years through an entity called Baltimore Arena Co.

Oak View chairman Tim Leiweke, Pharrell Williams, Ray Lewis, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott all attended a press conference to announce the deal.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

“CFG Bank has had a long-standing presence in the Baltimore area for nearly 100 years, and we are pleased to have them on board as our naming rights partner,” Leiweke, the leader of the arena project, said. “CFG Bank understands our vision for the project and recognizes the economic need for a modern world-class arena.”

Renovations include removal of the permanent stage, adding seats and suites, refurbishing concourses, upgrading concession areas, LED lighting, world-class acoustics, touchless technology for food and beverage, and various upgrades to the arena’s infrastructure. The new CFG Bank Arena will seat 14,000 people and aims to host dozens of concerts, family events, private functions, and sporting events. It’s hoping to target the likes of the UFC, tennis, boxing, NBA exhibition games, NCAA events, and tournaments. It’s slated to open in February in time for the CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments from Feb. 20-26, and will also host Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band on April 7, and Blink-182 on May 26.

“I have said this on many occasions; there is a renaissance happening here in Baltimore,” Baltimore’s Mayor Scott said. “People from all over see what we have long known and that is Baltimore is a great place for entertainment and recreation, and this new era for the Baltimore Arena, as well as the investment by Oak View Group and CFG Bank, speaks volumes about the commitment we all have to build a better Baltimore.”

Read More:

• ChatGPT, Voice Engine, Sam Altman & More Updates from OpenAI
• From March Madness to Man United: Brands Make Fan Dreams Come True
• Everything is On the Table for Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera & The Shop
• Boardroom Talks: Amar’e Stoudemire Always Understood the Game
• CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit Returning in 2024

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

The post CFG Bank Acquires Naming Rights for Baltimore Arena appeared first on Boardroom.

Mark Zuckerberg Little League Card Sells For $105K

Meta may be struggling to find its place in the rapidly changing technology landscape, but Mark Zuckerberg may be sitting on some assets in his personal collection. The Facebook co-founder’s little league baseball card sold for $105,000 at a ComicConnect auction. His former camp counselor, Allie Tarantino, sold the card after Zuckerberg posted a photo of it on Instagram, saying it would be an NFT. “There’s nothing you can logically compare it to. I could not draw a line between this card and anything,” ComicConnect CEO Stephen Fishler said.

Pharrell Curates Personal Collection for New Digital Auction House

Pharrell Williams is nothing short of a style icon. Now, the Neptunes producer is trying his hand at a new business with JOOPITER. The online auction house committed to helping users “let go of the past.” To kickstart things, Pharrell is actioning 52 items from his personal collection, which include a Jacob & Co. N.E.R.D. brain pendant from 2004, an 18K yellow gold-encased BlackBerry from 2006, and the iconic baby Milo pendant and multi-colored chain worn in The Clipse “Mr. Me Too” video.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

PGA Tour Issues a Countersuit Against LIV Golf

The battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour rages on in various courtrooms across the United States. The PGA Tour filed a countersuit on Thursday against LIV, alleging that the Saudi-backed golf league interfered with existing contracts it had with its players. LIV Golf previously filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, claiming the PGA Tour illegally suspended players for competing in their tournament. Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson and three other players asked a judge to be removed as plaintiffs from the LIV case.

Boardroom’s Shlomo Sprung has more on the ongoing legal battle.

Eli Manning SCORES with New Sports Investment

Eli Manning is not slowing down in retirement. The two-time Super Bowl champion – sometimes known as Chad Powers – and his private equity firm, Brand Velocity Group, announced that it acquired uniform company SCORE. As part of the deal, Manning and BVG will help accelerate the growth of the company with specialty marketing relationships. SCORE will also tap into BVG’s sports and entertainment networks to partner with athletes, teams, and leagues. Manning joins a star-studded group of investors that includes Carmelo Anthony, Nolan Arenado, DK Metcalf, and Klay Thompson.

Google Prepares to Shutter Cloud Gaming Service

Google has announced plans to shut down Stadia, its cloud gaming service. Gamers will have until Jan. 18, 2023, when Google plans to shut down operations for good. Stadia users will be reimbursed for all Stadia hardware bought through the Google Store and all games purchased. After launching in Nov. 2019, users complained of buffering issues, no matter the speed of at-home internet connections, deeming games unplayable. In a statement, Google confirmed the end of the platform. Employees will be redistributed to other positions throughout the company.

Trevor Noah Announces Exit from ‘The Daily Show’

After taking over The Daily Show from Jon Stewart in 2015, Trevor Noah has announced his impending departure. Noah revealed the news in front of a studio audience at Thursday evening’s taping. In a statement, Paramount Global cable network said, “We are grateful to Trevor for our amazing partnership over the past seven years. With no timetable for his departure, we’re working together on the next steps.”

Willie Mays Documentary Prepares for November Premiere

Precisely 68 years to the day of his famous over-the-shoulder catch, HBO announced a Nov. 8 air date for Say Hey, Willie Mays! — the feature documentary traces Mays’ life and Hall of Fame career. The film features commentary from Barry Bonds, Vin Scully, Jon Miller, Bob Costas, and biographer John Shea. LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted, Zipper Bros Films, and Major League Baseball each serve as producers of the film.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Email *

Checkboxes *

• HeadlineToGo
• Tech Talk
• Inside the Boardroom
• Sneaker Game

Subscribe

The post Travis Scott x Air Jordan Makes History on SNKRS with 3.8M Entries appeared first on Boardroom.