Recently I had the privilege of being invited to a private screening of a short film by luxury retailer Bally, featuring hip-hop phenom, J. Cole. The event was nothing less than extraordinary, from the beautiful people all about, to the gorgeous clothes, and the hospitality of both Bally and J. Cole. Bally, one of fashion’s oldest and most iconic brands partnered with Cole, one of music’s newest and most talented stars, to collaborate on a boot and back pack that were released during the showing of their short film, “Off The Grid”.
The collaboration took place in Kingston, Jamaica and allowed Cole to tune “everything out” and just focus on the music, as seen in the short film. Traveling through the beautiful Blue Mountains of the tiny island, Cole was wearing his creation hiking boots the entire time. The easy fit and comfortable feel of the boot, made trekking through the mountains and hills, much easier. This allowed the artist to fully disconnect from technology and connect with his surroundings.
The boot, lightweight and comfortable (so say the handsome model wearing them at the NY event), is also really attractive and can pair back to more casual looks, or even sporty looks. Cole says that his inspiration for creating the boot was really a combination of what he wanted in a boot and design inspiration from Bally’s 160 year history, “I always had an interest in designing footwear. Fortunately, the opportunity presented itself and I got the chance to work with such a all-respected brand with a long history of making product of the highest quality. When I learned more about the company’s past and was able to see their archives of boots going back over 100 years, it excited me even more.”-J. Cole
When I spoke briefly to CEO of Bally USA, Cladia Cividino, she said, “…the collaboration was natural and had nothing to do with marketing”. From the ease and feel of the boot and the short film, I’d agree. This fashion meets music partnership definitely has potential and I’m excited to see what comes from it in the future.
Check out Bally for product info.
J. Cole with Bally CEO Claudia Cividino
J. Cole Wearing his hiking boots, in Kingston, Jamaica
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