FRESH KICKS:

Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently in the midst of hunting down his first-ever championship ring, and on the morning of Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the versatile big man has taken a moment to unveil his latest signature sneaker with Nike: the Zoom Freak 3. If you’ve ever witnessed the “Greek Freak” perform on the hardwood, you’ll notice that he plays with extreme force and finesse, and the technology in this newest footwear piece is built to withstand his physical and swift styles of play.

“One of the hallmarks of his athleticism is transferring energy quickly from leg to leg to maneuver his body through gaps,” says Ross Klein, Nike‘s Sr. Creative Director for Men’s Performance Footwear. “Giannis works his foot like a gas and brake. He also works all different angles of his foot as he’s driving to the basket, so we wanted to contour the design to fit the way he transitions from step to step.”

The low-cut shape that’s been seen on the Freak 1 and Freak 2 is retained, but it’s upper is fashioned with a totally different aesthetic. Uppers are engineered with a synthetic material and come decorated with backward Swooshes positioned near the ankle and a lockdown strap over the forefoot. Additional branding can be found via Antetokounmpo’s signature logo that’s stamped to the tongues as well as tinier Swooshes that are planted into the bottom of the throat. Midsoles are presented with sleek and curvy molds that house a duo of Zoom Air units for premium comfort and responsiveness.

The black and purple “Project 34” colorway along with the vibrant orange “Freak” makeup are dropping globally come July 1 and in North America in August via Nikeand select retailers.Joining the early imagery we have already received, we now have a detailed look at the adidas (XETRA:ADS.DE -1.13%) YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 “MX Oat.”

Set to arrive sometime this fall, the upcoming take on the updated adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 model features a one piece Primeknit upper design expressing a camouflage-like mix of orange, blue and yellow. Accenting details include pull tabs, lacing and matching sockliners. Elevating the shoe are full-length encapsulated BOOST translucent yellow sole units.

Priced at $220 USD, the adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 “MX Oat” is now expected to release sometime in October.

Set to mark the release of Space Jam: A New Legacy, we now have an official look at the Nike (NYSE:NKE -0.97%) Air Force 1 Low “Hare.”

Celebrating iconic Looney Tunes‘ characters Bugs and Lola Bunny, the upper of the shoe features a clean white tumbled leather upper contrasted by light blue suede. The contrast elements appear on the tongue tags, heel tabs, insoles and Swooshes that also feature Bugs and Lola Bunny badges. Finishing up the design of the shoe are white/light blue midsoles that continue the contrast found on the upper.

Priced at $120 USD, the Nike Air Force 1 Low “Hare” is expected to release in the coming weeks.

TELFAR DEBUTS CONVERSE COLLABORATION WITH CO-BRANDED DUFFLE BAG

Telfar has teased its long-awaited collaboration with Converse, kicking off the release with a co-branded duffle bag. Centered on the idea that “sport is for everyone,” the team-up was first announced in 2019, when Telfar debuted a series of collaborative Chuck 70s at Paris Fashion Week.

The nylon duffle bag, marked with the collaboration’s Telfar STAR logo (a mash-up of the brand’s signature motifs), is the first release from a wider collection, which will also feature footwear and apparel. Offerings will include T-shirts, ringer tanks and a lightweight jersey hoodie.

As for footwear, Telfar introduces two deconstructed versions of the classic Pro Leather. The first reimagines the sneaker as black slip-on with a slashed logo, while the second arrives as a Mary Jane-style shoe, featuring an off-white upper topped off with a logo-stamped strap. Also included are three iterations of Converse’s All Star slides, arriving in “Navy,” “Black” and “Khaki.”

Peep the lookbook in the gallery above. The duffle bag is set to release via Converse’s website on July 2, and the full collection will land at Telfar’s webstore on July 6.

FILM: Production Has Begun for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

Ever since Black Panther took the world by storm in 2018, fans across the globe have anxiously awaited the movie’s sequel. However, the pandemic and the tragic loss of  lead actor Chadwick Boseman who played King T’Challa, disrupted the process for the next film. Now, all is back on track as Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige confirmed that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has begun production in Atlanta, Georgia.  

Feige spoke with Variety, keeping story details largely under wraps, but saying that all the stars from the original cast will be making their return. Director Ryan Coogler will return as well.

Feige said to Variety, ahead of the Black Widow Global Fan Event on Tuesday night, “It’s clearly very emotional without Chad.” He continued, “But everyone is also very excited to bring the world of Wakanda back to the public and back to the fans. We’re going to do it in a way that would make Chad proud.”

Marvel previously stated that Chadwick Boseman’s role of T’Challa will not be recast for the sequel, nor will they use a digital double, a move that honors the legacy and spirit of Boseman.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to premiere on July 8, 2022. It is also one of 26 upcoming Marvel Studios’ titles slated for release in theaters and streaming on Disney+.Danai Gurira‘s Dora Milaje warrior Okoye is rumored to be getting her own spin-off series from Marvel on Disney+.

In a new report from The Hollywood Reporter about the numerous lawyers in the entertainment industry, a paragraph about Gurira’s attorney Jamie Mandelbaum states that he “brokered a deal for [Gurira] to not only reprise her role as Okoye in the upcoming Black Panther sequel but also in an origin spinoff series for Disney+.”

The series is rumored to be an origin story for Okoye, and Gurira will reprise her role as the Dora Milaje’s deadliest warrior and leader following her appearances in the original Black Panther, both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Other details regarding the spin-off series remain scarce at this point, and it’s also unclear if Okoye’s project would be the same as, or related to, the upcoming Wakanda series on Disney+.

For now, neither Marvel nor Disney has officially confirmed the news, so fans of Wakanda should definitely stay tuned for more updates to come.The Walt Disney Company has announced that it has signed a five-year overall exclusive television deal with Black Panther director and co-writer Ryan Coogler‘s Proximity Media.

The partnership will build on the Proximity Media’s aims to create “event-driven feature films, television, soundtracks and podcasts that look to bring audiences closer together through stories involving often-overlooked subject matters.” Already working on the sequel to Black Panther, Coogler is continuing to build on his section of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a Disney+ series centered around the kingdom of Wakanda to kick-off the partnership. The deal will also see Proximity create television for other divisions of the Disney umbrella.

“It’s an honor to be partnering with The Walt Disney Company. Working with them on Black Panther was a dream come true. As avid consumers of television, we couldn’t be happier to be launching our television business with Bob Iger, Dana Walden and all the amazing studios under the Disney umbrella. We look forward to learning, growing, and building a relationship with audiences all over the world through the Disney platforms. We are especially excited that we will be taking our first leap with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and their partners at Marvel Studios where we will be working closely with them on select MCU shows for Disney+. We’re already in the mix on some projects that we can’t wait to share,” stated Ryan Coogler on behalf of Proximity Media.

“Ryan Coogler is a singular storyteller whose vision and range have made him one of the standout filmmakers of his generation,” said Bob Iger, Executive Chairman, The Walt Disney Company. “With Black Panther, Ryan brought a groundbreaking story and iconic characters to life in a real, meaningful and memorable way, creating a watershed cultural moment. We’re thrilled to strengthen our relationship and look forward to telling more great stories with Ryan and his team.

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ART: Louis de Guzman Releases 'A Wild Hare' Vinyl Figure With Looney Tunes

Louis De Guzman is known for his abstract reinterpretations of nostalgic cartoon characters. Following his first-ever NFT collection, the Chicago-based artist returns with a new take on a famous cartoon: Bugs Bunny. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Looney Tunes character with the artist reimagining the subject as a three-dimensional piece translated into De Guzman’s intricate motifs. The figure will be available in an edition of 350 pieces.

“‘A Wild Hare’ is a conceptual case study celebrating 80 iconic years of Bugs Bunny. This work represents an elevated and colliding approach within my personal body of compositional work and color palette rooted from my ongoing “In Between The Lines” narrative.  Pushing what form and function can communicate through physical form, the basis for this project was to approach iconography and encapsulate a familiar face + movement with modern day techniques,” said the artist in a statement.

Accompanying the two-inch sculpture is a 16” x 16” print edition releasing in a signed and numbered edition of 75. The print portrays Bugs Bunny in a colorful composition with geometric shapes creating its iconic profile. The sculpture and print will be available on NTWRK starting June 29 at 4 p.m. PST $380 USD and $225 USD respectively.Fresh off an inaugural footwear collaboration with New Balance, Chicago-based artist Louis de Guzman is teaming with Warner Bros for a Bugs Bunny collaboration. Revealed through a series of Instagram teaser posts, De Guzman’s latest collaborative effort sees him adding his signature bright colors and “geometric abstraction” to both figures and prints of the rascally rabbit.

The figure presents Bugs in full sprint, looking to the side with a mischievous open-mouthed grin while he’s partially consumed by red, blue and teal shapes. Judging by De Guzman’s photo, the build appears to be several feet tall, though word on the size of figure that’ll release is still forthcoming. On the other hand, the print is a close-up portrait of Bugs’ face encircled by the same shapes and colors.

De Guzman is certainly no stranger to bringing his aesthetic to pop culture icons: he’s worked with J Balvin and SpongeBob SquarePants on vinyl figures and Modernica furniture, and first gained mainstream notoriety from his ELEVATE figurethat showcased a skateboarding Bart Simpson. At the time of writing no official release information for this Louis De Guzman x Bugs Bunny collaboration has been announced, but it’ll likely be revealed soon.

NEW GIFTS:

For those that want a new pair of sneakers but can’t justify the amount they already have, Alexander McQueen might have the solution: an Oversized Sneaker… keychain.

However, you’d have to be a die-hard Alexander McQueen Oversized Sneaker fan to cop this 10cmx3cm accessory, as it costs more than most pairs of sneakers — $243 USD to be precise.

Aside from the “expensive pair of sneakers” price, and it not actually being a sneaker but instead a sneaker-shaped keychain, not much else is going on with this McQueen accessory. The small 3D model is made from leather just like the shoes, comes in the classic white and black colorway, and features details from the laces to the heel tab stamp, perforations on the mid-panel, and even eyelets, outsole detailing, and stitching.

The “shoe” is attached to silver-tone hardware (note, not actual silver) which is embossed with additional Alexander McQueen branding. For those who want to cop this charm, or think they have a tiny pet that could rock this Oversized Sneaker, then head over to HBX now to pick it up. Yes, for $243 USD.Alexander McQueen has dropped a brand new piece from its Spring/Summer 2020lineup. After unveiling its Tread Slick sneaker line, the British label has opted to refine its accessories, reimagining its iconic skull motif in the form of a stacked triple-tiered ring.

The ring is made up of three pieces that come in tones of satin silver, matte black and silver. Made in Italy, each piece is crafted entirely of brass. The satin silver-toned part makes up the top part of the skull and the right eye; the matte black, forming the middle of the skull, left eye and top row teeth; and, lastly, the silver piece, the lower jaw and bottom row teeth. All three fragments fit perfectly together for a sleek mosaic of the label’s iconic motif.

Alexander McQueen’s Stacked Skull ring is currently available at HBX’s website, Alexander McQueen’s webstore and Trading Post for approximately $320 USDSMG‘s Taipei SMUDGEstore flagship was prepping for its grand opening back in May and is now open for business as the Taiwanese city asserts victory in its ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus. G-SHOCK has joined the commemorative celebration with an exclusive DW-6900BB model that takes cues from a ’90s classic.

The “BLACK OUT Black” series, first seen in the ’90s is denoted by the BB suffix (e.g. DW-6900BB), indicating an especially muted watch. SMG’s bespoke “Resurgence” Special Edition variant keeps in line with that tradition, informing the hefty timepiece with an all-black look, from the matte black case and strap to the matching digital face. Tonal camouflage is embossed on one portion of the strap, while “RESURGENCE” text graces the other side. Its packaging appropriately upholds the blacked-out theme.

Unsurprisingly, SMG’s exclusive G-SHOCK DW-6900BB “Resurgence” Special Edition watch is only available in SMUDGEstore Taipei and the local G-SHOCK flagship/