A SLICE OF PARIS: “I can’t say I come to Paris for the pizza, but I’m in,” joked KidSuper designer Colm Dillane ahead of the reveal of his collaboration with the Brooklyn Nets basketball team and the Paris Saint-Germain soccer club on Tuesday.
Featuring Dillane’s doodle of a chef standing between Brooklyn Bridge and the Eiffel Tower, the limited-edition T-shirt is sold exclusively at Sonny’s Pizza, a buzzy American-style pizza parlor near Place de la République renamed The Brooklyn Nets Pizzeria until Saturday.
It is part of a series of Brooklyn-flavored experiences spanning sport, food, music and fashion the team brought to Paris ahead of Thursday’s NBA Paris Game 2024 that will see the Brooklyn Nets face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Other activities include an orchestral tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. on Wednesday and an immersive experience at the Carreau du Temple that includes personalizing basketball jerseys with artist Kaws.
“We’ve spent months curating an intentional campaign to bring the best of Brooklyn to Paris and celebrate the unique connection between both markets — something Colm has demonstrated through his previous projects,” said Ron Goldenberg, vice president international marketing and innovation of the Brooklyn Nets.
Dillane felt like the right fit, given he is a Brooklynite, a basketball fan — and that his first fashion endeavor was called BOTS (for Brick Oven T-shirt Company) and was an ode to pizza, the executive added.
The designer, who will show his fall 2024 collection on Jan. 20 show during Paris Men’s Week, was even more on board when the Brooklyn-based basketball team told him the Paris Saint-Germain team was involved.
“If you’re going to think about who has a Brooklyn-based brand, shows in Paris and loves soccer, I think I’m the only one to have all three,” Dillane told WWD, revealing he was working on a collaboration with the Nets. “It’s cool when you’re from New York to work with your local team together and I like PSG as well.”
The French soccer club also was eager to take part in the project, feeling its foothold in New York City and strong American fan base made them the best partner to take part in a three-way conversation between both cities and the creative connecting both.
“For us, it was a way to welcome [the team] to Paris,” said Fabien Allègre, director of the Paris Saint-Germain brand.
