TORONTO, ON, March 2, 2021 – Today, Canada Goose announced a multiyear partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) that makes Canada Goose a Proud Outerwear Partner of NBA All-Star. In support of the partnership and timed to the NBA’s annual All-Star celebration, Canada Goose will develop an exclusive design collaboration each year for players and fans alike. This year’s design partner is Los Angeles-based brand, RHUDE, known for balancing luxury techniques with streetwear elements.
“Canada Goose has been a coveted brand across the influential arenas of film, entertainment and sport for decades. This multiyear partnership is a significant milestone for Canada Goose and the NBA; and our inaugural design partner, RHUDE, known for a culturally impactful approach to design, is the perfect tipoff partner,” said Dani Reiss, President & CEO, Canada Goose. “While this year looks different, we are proud to celebrate the players who have always supported us.”
“We are excited that Canada Goose will be recognizing the players and their accomplishments with their All-Star collections in the years ahead,” said Salvatore LaRocca, NBA President, Global Partnerships. “Canada Goose will bring its legacy of style and innovation to the league’s global celebration of the game.”
The inaugural year of the partnership will launch with the Play in the Open challenge, born from Canada Goose’s Live in the Open ethos – the brand’s invitation to express oneself freely and without judgement. The Play in the Open challenge will launch on TikTok on March 4 with a Tip Off Crew performing their best basketball trick. The Tip Off Crew, including RHUDE’s Founder, Rhuigi Villaseñor, and NBA center James Wiseman, will challenge followers to join in with their best spin, dunk or dribble and challenge three people to do the same – all in the spirit of coming together while staying apart.
The Canada Goose & NBA Collection with RHUDE is a four-piece unisex outerwear capsule designed for the elements and built for year-round use. Canada Goose is inspired by its archives, and each style reflects its heritage, including quilting, patches, bold branding and vintage washed colours and prints, all with distinct design cues from RHUDE.
“The NBA merges cultures, socioeconomics and brings people around the world together in the name of sport. Canada Goose is an innovative lifestyle brand, redefining the category. It was a no-brainer to partner with these two iconic brands,” said Rhuigi Villaseñor, Founder, RHUDE. “This collaboration honours the heritage of both the NBA and Canada Goose, and is a tribute to the athletes that already covet the brand.”
The collaboration’s pinnacle piece is the Freestyle Vest, a layering necessity fit for shoulder seasons, transitional temperatures, and premier protection. Freestyle Vests from this year’s Canada Goose & NBA Collection with RHUDE will be made available to all 2021 NBA All-Star participants and will be available for sale through canadagoose.com and select Canada Goose retail stores in the United States and Canada.
The Portage Jacket, a relaxed-fit trench coat, is sought-after for its versatility and convertible length, easily customizable via snap closures. The capsule’s two parkas are Canada Goose’s classics – the Chilliwack Bomber and Macmillan Parka. The Chilliwack is known for its durability, warmth and mobility, while the Macmillan provides fundamental protection for active city living. Each style is exclusively finished off with the Canada Goose disc, NBA logo and RHUDE patch. Canada Goose’s promise to inspire and enable all people to thrive in the outside world comes to life through the collection and Play in the Open, championing freedom of expression.
This Canada Goose and NBA partnership is an expansion of Canada Goose’s activation during NBA All-Star 2016 in its hometown of Toronto, where the company created limited edition co-branded parkas for both NBA All-Star teams.
The 2021 NBA All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Hawks, where the league’s annual global celebration of the game will take place on one night for the first time, with oncourt action beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT. The Canada Goose & NBA Collection with RHUDE drops right before Sunday’s game, starting March 5 at select Canada Goose retail stores and online at canadagoose.com in the United States and Canada.
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About Canada Goose
Founded in 1957 in a small warehouse in Toronto, Canada, Canada Goose (NYSE:GOOS, TSX:GOOS) is a lifestyle brand and a leading manufacturer of performance luxury apparel. Every collection is informed by the rugged demands of the Arctic, ensuring a legacy of functionality is embedded in every product from parkas and rainwear to apparel and accessories. Canada Goose is inspired by relentless innovation and uncompromised craftsmanship, recognized as a leader for its Made in Canada commitment. In 2020, Canada Goose announced HUMANATURE, its purpose platform that unites its sustainability and values-based initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to keep the planet cold and the people on it warm. Canada Goose also owns Baffin, a Canadian designer and manufacturer of performance outdoor and industrial footwear. Visit www.canadagoose.com for more information.
About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2020-21 season featured 107 international players from 41 countries. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.9 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.
About RHUDE
R H U D E, founded by Rhuigi Villaseñor in 2015, is a design venture born out of Los Angeles, balancing luxury techniques with streetwear elements, showcased as ready-to-wear collections. Designed from a narrative standpoint R H U D E is both a reflection of modern socioeconomics and personal stories as Villaseñor came to Los Angeles from the Philippines at the age of 11 with no concept of brand culture. Now a reoccurring theme season-to-season, RHUDE combines American iconography with nostalgic references, a visual commentary on Los Angeles style and culture itself. Rhuigi studied art history shortly after graduating high school and was an understudy/intern to Shaun Samson. With no formal training specific to fashion design, Villaseñor credits his understanding of garments and construction to growing up with a mother who was a tailor, providing a foundation and understanding of how to build each piece and the subsequent stories told with each collection. RHUDE’s journey parallels Villaseñor, chronicling the evolution of a man from adolescence to maturity, a narrative reflected in each collection, both the Creative Director and brand continue to grow-up with its ever-expanding fan base.
