The laid-back vibe at BrandBlack’s Spring 2016 Preview in June was totally fitting for a company that prides itself in understated excellence. There was no fanfare, nor gimmicks, just light refreshments and soul classics while designer David Raysse and creative director Billy Dill walked visitors through their upcoming collections in a private room at Soho House in Lower Manhattan.
For a smaller imprint, BrandBlack has drawn a great deal of buzz in a short amount of time, thanks to its bold design choices, premium materials, and solid performance reviews. The clothing and footwear combined sports functionality with fashion sensibility, a unique combination that has resonated with people seeking a departure from the status quo.
“It’s funny how, when we set off in this direction, it was a little early and a little weird, but I feel like that guy really exists now,” Raysse said. “There are a lot of guys moving in this direction, and that’s nice. I feel like we’ve just got a good sense of who we are, and we’ve got our stride right to where that guy is evolving.”
As BrandBlack unveils its newest signature model, the J.Crossover 3, here are five things to look forward to from the emerging athleisure presence.
Wild and wooly
I’m not exactly the finest-dressed guy in the world, as evidenced by my penchant for Andrew Bynum jerseys. However, I do own a couple of sweaters made of Merino wool, primarily to wear to the office and to go out to dinner with my wife. Of course, one thing I’ve never actually considered doing in them is exercising, unless I find myself literally running late for work.
Luckily for BrandBlack, Raysse and Dill don’t limit themselves by the boundaries of conventional thinking, as evidenced by their upcoming assortment of Merino wool workout apparel.
“It’s funny, David used to use Merino wool for Fila,” Dill said, holding up a buttery-soft tank top. “When I went to the factories doing all the engineered pieces, they were actually like, ‘Oh, we’re actually working with that right now.’ So the timing was perfect.”
“It’s really light, and it’s funny because you always think of wool as like a heavy, hot jacket. But it’s super-breathable, really comfortable. We’re trying to keep everything with a sports value, really functional, but also with a fashion point of view.”
Opening doors
Finding that sweet spot between athletics and aesthetics has helped BrandBlack carve a definitive niche in a competitive market; their clothing and footwear can mainly be found in high-end retailers like Equinox, American Rag, and Fred Segal. But with Jamal Crawford’s second signature sneaker, the J. Crossover 2, having drawn rave reviews from its namesake and everyone else, their reach expanded a bit.
“We were really sort of pleasantly surprised by the reception of the JC2,” Raysse said. “We’d been teasing and showing it for a long time, and then with testing, it took longer to get to market than we anticipated. In some ways that was serendipitous I think, because people were really excited about it. So everywhere we’ve released that shoe, it has sold out, which is just fantastic.”
Raysse and Dill are confident that to know their product is to love it, and nothing we’ve seen has convinced us otherwise. The JC2 has sold briskly at Finish Line, with Champs Sports and FootAction set to follow in their footsteps as the JC3 arrives.
“I think we’ve gone from a brand that people have heard about but not really seen,” Raysse said, “to a brand that’s beginning to perform at retail and open things up for us.”
Up to speed
Famously the designer of signature sneakers for Jerry Stackhouse and Grant Hill, Raysse is a self-professed hoops guy at heart. However, he’s mindful of not pigeonholing BrandBlack into one particular sport.
Raysse has significant cache in running, based on his time as VP of Design for Skechers’ Performance Division. While there, Raysse helped create the GoRun line, an offshoot of which was utilized by Meb Keflezighi to win the 2014 Boston Marathon. Once settled at BrandBlack, he began designing the company’s first running shoe, the Raven, utilizing the same fundamentals he found success with at Skechers.
Set for a spring 2016 release, BrandBlack’s runner features a minimalist-skewing 4MM heel-to-toe offset. Despite its lightweight profile, the Raven is engineered to be a marathon-distance sneaker. Honestly, it simply looks fast, which I would attest actually makes a psychological difference. Like Deion Sanders succinctly put it, if you look good, you play good.
“I think basketball is my biggest passion, always has been, so that was going to be right at the center of it,” Raysse said. “But the reality is, most people buy running shoes and trainers and those types of shoes, so it was important to show what else we can do that’s not just one aesthetic.”
Given his past success at Skechers, who knows? There might just be another Boston winner in BrandBlack’s future.
Quality control
BrandBlack is well known for its unwillingness to sacrifice quality for the sake of useless bells and whistles. Raysse has shown no interest in compromising any part of his artistic vision for the sake of marketing, opting to use his resources to produce sneakers with the finest materials he can offer.
The sneakers on display in June all demonstrated BrandBlack’s attention to detail and willingness to take chances. Among them were the lowtop Jet and hightop cousin Rocket, made in the same factory Prada uses. The popular Force Vector basketball sneaker received a bit of a facelift, with striking monochrome colorways and premium materials.
Perhaps most intriguing, the upper of the Vector Trainer features a fabric that isn’t quite what it seems.
“This is actually textile,” Raysse said, running his fingers over the sneaker, “a thin film that looks like it’s leather, but it’s mesh.”
For those looking to take a chance and break from the norm, BrandBlack is way ahead of you.
Pushing the envelope
Though BrandBlack is competing in a cutthroat industry, it doesn’t mean they can’t appreciate when another company gets it right.
“I was jealous of adidas Boost, jealous of how amazing it is,” Raysse said. “I think there are technologies that don’t necessarily make things better on shoes, but others that show up and you’re like, ‘That is…really, really good.’ That new foam is really cool, so we had our chemists work for a year and a half to come up with a new formula.”
That new cushioning system, along with a full-length vector plate, can be found in the J. Crossover 3, the highly anticipated sequel to the JC2. They had a few pairs at the spring preview and it appears to take the best aspects of its predecessor and builds off them.
So when will the public get its hands on it? BrandBlack provided the uniforms and footwear for the Seattle Pro-Am, which is where we first glimpsed the JC3 on Crawford’s feet. After that, they periodically leaked elements of the sneaker before unveiling it in full late last week, leading up to a full launch before the holiday season. Building this sort of viral buzz worked to great effect with the JC2, and it fits BrandBlack’s counterculture reputation.
But none of it works if BrandBlack doesn’t have a good product. Raysse and Dill are convinced that theirs is better than literally everyone else’s.
“Developing a new foam, most of the big guys haven’t done that,” Raysse said. “It’s one of the luxuries of having really good factories and people we work with, that we can explore things like that where most small brands cannot.
“That makes a difference — you’ll see. Anybody who wears it will know.”
Great feature. Writing always amazing Bryan
The Brandblack Force Vectors are incredible. Who else is using premium (and I do mean premium, not some crappy cut) leather uppers these days?
Way of Wade line shoes.
That’s fair comment nate2 but the Wade shoes have some fit issues, whereas the force vectors are glove like. It’s really like a cross between the old premium leather Jordans and the shape of the AJ IX
Champs and Footaction selling Brandblack products is another great move for the company. If they can get items in physical stores, everybody wins.
Is Champs and Footaction under the same company as Footlocker and Eastbay?
Also, does Footaction have any of their shoes right now?
They are so they’ll likely be avail to ship internationally. They won’t carry BB shoes until the 3 releases.
Awesome, sounds great. Can’t wait to try them out if those stores are going to start selling them.
This was a great write up Bryan. I actually enjoyed reading this and learning more about the company’s vision. I really hope to try a pair of Brand Black shoes this time around. By the time I realized that they were worth trying, they were all gone in my size/ color way of interest. In any case, thanks for shining a light on a brand that could really become a competitor in its own right.