S. Samuel
Rap mogul Jay Z is showing he wants to pass Diddy on next year's Forbes Cash Kings list as reports claim Young Hov has hooked up with a mega clothing retailer for a limited edition holiday campaign.
According to reports, Jay has teamed up with Barneys to put out a New York-inspired line.
Two years ago, Barneys turned into Lady Gaga’s playground for the holidays. Last year, the retailer went head-to-toe Disney. This year, Barneys is going home for Christmas with… Jay Z? Yep, the luxury store is moving in a new direction for its annual holiday campaign. Women’s Wear Daily reports that Barneys is partnering with Jay Z for “A New York Holiday,” a Christmastime promotion that will include limited-edition products by designers such as Lanvin, Balenciaga, Balmain, Rick Owens and Proenza Schouler. 25 percent of sales from the collection will go to Jay’s Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. (Huffington Post)
Not cheap, Jay and Barneys prices will range from just over $50 all the way up to $33,900.
All the designers worked with Jay Z on the items, making it Hova’s first real foray into the fashion world. The collection includes a wide array of items, most of which are high-end, like a leather backpack, an alligator-strap watch, a cashmere blanket and a cotton t-shirt. Prices range from $70 to $33,900 for that fancy timepiece. Barneys will release the collection online and in store windows on November 20. Here’s hoping the offerings receive more praise than those in friend and fellow throne-watcher Kanye West’s high-end designer collaboration with A.P.C. And if it doesn’t? Well, it will probably still sell — just look how quickly Yeezy’s $280 sweatshirts sold out. (Huffington Post)
Mr. Carter has already spoken out on putting this unexpected campaign together.
“With this project, Barneys New York and I were able to take the slickness, energy and innovation of New York City and translate that into quality, timeless pieces,” he explained to WWD. “Everything that encompasses A New York Holiday – the items chosen, the amazing designers that participated, the windows, the design of the BNY SCC Gallery – represents a perfect example of a unique and groundbreaking collaboration that I hope demonstrates how inspiring New York has been to me.” Fitting in with the festive theme the designs will be on sale from November 20 until January 3, and 25 per cent of the sales are to be donated to the rapper’s Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. (Belfast Telegraph UK)
Chief executive of the store Mark Lee is also fully behind the major power move.
“If you close your eyes and think about who best represents New York and stands for the city, you can’t help but think about Shawn Carter,” explained company CEO Mark Lee. The project will launch on November 20, with the Madison Avenue branch hosting a 1,500 sq ft gallery, but if you can’t make it to NYC for a Christmas shopping trip, a limited quantity of pieces will be available on Barneys.com. Twenty-five percent of all sales will benefit the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. (The Telegraph)
