LA is in the spotlight in more ways than one this week. National Football Conference (NFC) champions, the Los Angeles Rams, gave us another reason to be proud, adding to our city’s successful sporting history, while Sofi Stadium provides a backdrop exciting for the next Super Bowl (as it did for the NFC game). Sunday’s halftime show featuring natives Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and more will only add to the local love.
The National Football League (NFL) also recognizes and celebrates Los Angeles with a fashion line just launched in honor of the host city of this year’s Super Bowl. Called Origins: An NFL Collection, the lineup includes deserving LA brands that reflect our culturally diverse style and energy.
NFL Origins LA Launch Party. (Jeff Lewis/AP Images for the NFL)
The “Core Merchandise Collaboration,” as the NFL calls it, features four beloved Angeleno brands, each interpreting fan gear in their own unique way. Participants include: Bella Donathe Latina brand fueled by Chicana fraternity and street style; Bricks & Wood a collaboration-focused, black-owned clothing company based in South Central; circulate, a black-owned skate brand; and Rip N Repair, a creative collective inspired by Asian-American heritage.
Origins launched via a free pop-up shop event last Sunday, where each designer showed off their capsule collections. The looks – which come in a range of colors that go far beyond Rams and Chargers blue and gold – can also be purchased through Sunday, February 13 at NFL Shop at the Super Bowl presented by Visalocated at the Los Angeles Convention Center (West and South Concourses) and online at NFLShop.com/Origins. Here we take a closer look at each LA brand.
Corey Populus (Jeff Lewis/AP Images for the NFL)
Circulate
Corey Populus’ skate brand has lived up to its name since 2018, growing by word of mouth in the street sports community with graphic designs that are causing a stir. Populus is a resident of Los Angeles via Sacramento, who worked at Diamond Supply Co., before moving into freelance production and graphics for popular companies like Hawkers Co and Alpina Division, and finally his own brand, Circulate.
“The way we brought our signature style and vision to our designs for the NFL Origins collections was through graphics, storytelling and typography,” Populus explains. “These are all key elements that make up our brand. We like to think of Circulate as a “thinking made visual” brand. One of our most important pieces from the origins collection is a design telling the story of Kenny Washington. He was the first African American football player to sign a contract with the NFL and also broke the color barrier. This design incorporates all elements of graphic design, typography, and storytelling.
LaLa Romero and Natalia Durazo (Jeff Lewis/AP Images for the NFL)
Bella Dona
Best friends LaLa Romero and Natalia Durazo created Bella Doña to celebrate Chicana pride and culture, and the brotherhood that inspires Angelenas in Los Angeles. The brand also touts deep roots in nostalgia, referencing lingo and looks that any Latina woman growing up in Los Angeles (like yours really) will know and love. From nail studs to nameplates, from home girls to sad girls, the company captures the cool vibes and old-school street chic.
“Every aspect of Bella Doña is inspired by Los Angeles,” Romero shares with THE weekly. “From sunshine to candy paint, our neighborhoods are the heart of our brand. Our street signs and lawns are the backdrop for everything we create and film. Our primary goal is to always show the world the beauty of our neighborhoods from our perspective and remind the women in our community who come from a long generational line.
“Bringing our signature style and vision to our NFL Origins Collection designs has been a seamless experience,” adds Romero. “Sports patterns are recurring themes that are an integral part of our brand DNA. This collection allowed us to express that even further by embossing the NFL shield and adding airbrushed art, bringing our signature touches to the Super Bowl. It’s a special collection that we wanted our community to feel part of and wear with pride.
Kacey Lynch (Jeff Lewis/AP Images for the NFL)
Bricks & Wood
Telling stories through apparel design is the vision of this South Central, LA-based apparel company. With manufacturing and design collaborations reflecting daily life in the city, B&W also hopes to use its platform to elevate narratives and showcase the creativity of marginalized communities.
Creative director Kacey Lynch began his career as a photographer in Hollywood, building a resume and network around the world. Its current mission is to spread the energy of South Central Los Angeles abroad, while authentically showcasing its lifestyle and pride so that, as Lynch puts it, “the kids of downtown city can see this accessibility” and be inspired by it.
“I think Bricks & Wood reflects Los Angeles in great detail. The goal is to dig deep into the depths of all the beautiful and inspiring things in Los Angeles (South Central to be exact) and re-arrange those perspectives from ‘an updated lens,” says Lynch. “For this collection, we decided to take a very direct approach to vintage sports advertising. We’ve taken moments and previous LA Super Bowl commercials and recreated some of our favorites with our own twist.
Jason Yi and Albert Lim (Jeff Lewis/AP Images for the NFL)
Rip N Repair
Exploring the layers and eras of Asian-American heritage and identity, Jason Yi and Albert Lim’s graphic brand draws inspiration from everything from Korean riot culture to manga. “We express the stories of our Korean heritage through the visual language of our neighborhood to create pieces that speak to our roots and experiences,” explain the duo, founded in Koreatown. “The way we brought our signature style and vision to our designs for the NFL Origins Collection was through our graphic approach inspired by our heritage, community and culture.”
The pair have even made “Koreatown” the highlight of every design for their Origins line, from their Koreatown walkway sign in traditional Korean architecture to their Football Logo tee featuring Koreatown and Inglewood, representing, say- they, “the deep history that the two communities share. »
“Our Origins video is also set at Catalina Liquor, a staple Korean family business for over 30 years,” says Lim, who sought to portray the multidimensional talent of his neighborhood. “The RNR x NFL origins collaboration is a love letter to the community that raised us all.”
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