Essence Fashion Digest: Jaylen Brown Launches Athleisure Line, Louis Vuitton Footprint Soccer Shoe, And More – Essence

This week in fashion was filled with moments that we want to highlight. First, Jaylen Brown has launched his luxury athleisure line under his brand 741. Next, Pharrell has designed Louis Vuitton’s first soccer cleat, the Footprint Soccer Shoe.

In exciting news, New York City-based designer Chuks Collins celebrated an upcoming collaboration with Lush Decor earlier in the week.

Up next, Adidas welcomes 12 entrepreneurs of color to the 2024-2025 Community LAB cohort. Meanwhile, Heron Preston has launched his highly anticipated “Orange Label” T-shirts. Lastly, Off-White collaborates with Bstroy on a limited-edition sneaker. 

Keep scrolling to learn about the fashion happenings of the week. 

Louis Vuitton’s Footprint Soccer shoe, designed by Pharrell Williams, is a groundbreaking sneaker inspired by cleated boots from the world of field sports. Featuring a laced calf leather upper and a padded rubber outsole, the design incorporates Louis Vuitton’s signature details, including floral motifs from the Monogram and an interlinked LV logo. The sole’s stylized, five-toed footprint adds a unique touch.

Once the shoe launches it will be available in the following bold hues: black, white, blue, red, and forest green. The outsole continues the hue emblazoned on the upper with lighter prints adding dimension. 

The LV Footprint Soccer will be available for pre-order on December 26 on louisvuitton.com and will be available in stores on January 2nd. 

Jaylen Brown Launches Luxury Athleisure Line

Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics has unveiled the athleisure segment of his 741 brand, a luxury performance collection. Self-funded and fully designed by Brown, the line features hybrid pieces including puffer coats, hoodies, leggings, key accessories, and more.

“This collection represents the intersection of luxury and performance,” Jaylen Brown shared in a statement. “It’s not just about looking good—it’s about feeling great and performing at your best. 741 is a reflection of who I am, both as an athlete and as someone who’s passionate about pushing boundaries, and I’m set to do this in both sports and fashion.”

To shop pieces from Jaylen Brown’s debut luxury athleisure line head to 741performance.com. Pricing starts at $23. The collection will also be available through pop-up events and exclusive retail partnerships in the coming months.

Adidas has announced the induction of 12 Black and Latino/a/e business owners into its 2024-2025 Community LAB cohort. This eight-month social accelerator program provides participants with $75,000 in grant funding and vital resources to promote equity in sports while growing their businesses. The initiative underscores Adidas’ commitment to driving meaningful change within underrepresented communities.

This year, the program expanded to include entrepreneurs from Toronto and Houston alongside the original cities of Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York. With Black Ambition joining as a new partner, along with returning collaborators Impact Hub, the program offers a tailored curriculum featuring mentorship, workshops, and strategic guidance. 

“Building strong partnerships with community leaders is key to transforming our collective vision into real-world progress,” shared Ayesha Martin, Senior Director of Adidas Purpose in a statement.

Heron Preston Launches “Orange Label” T-Shirts

Heron Preston has officially launched the highly anticipated “Orange Label” T-shirts under his L.E.D. Studio project.

The orange labels were first designed in 2016 for “UNIFORM,” a collaborative exhibition with the NYC Department of Sanitation. Fashion pieces from this collection, featuring the distinctive labels, were later showcased in The Costume Institute’s 2021 exhibition, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Following the exhibit, these pieces were acquired by the museum as part of its permanent collection.

Deadstock labels from “UNIFORM” were recently recovered from Heron’s storage and repurposed for the L.E.D Studio project. Only a limited number remain, and once they are exhausted, the project will officially conclude. These labels, printed on one side for the original 2016 collection, are used in their blank reverse state for this project, presenting them in their simplest form, a striking, solid orange label.

The “Orange Label” T-shirts in black and white variations are currently available to purchase on ledstudio.com for $100. 

Off-White Collaborates With Bstroy On Exclusive Sneaker Drop

Off-White continues its commitment to creativity by collaborating with Atlanta-born brand BStroy on a sneaker named “OUT OF OFFICE.” The design came about from an intimate exchange between Bstroy founders Dieter “Du” Grams and Brick Ownes and late founder Virgil Abloh, who all developed a simple yet innovative sketch featuring the pink arrow stretching along the sneaker’s body. 

The sneaker is available in two striking colorways: one featuring a silver-blue-green combination with black accents and a pink arrow, and the other drawing inspiration from the Porsche 911, with a sleek silver-black motif and the signature pink arrow.

The sneaker is now available in select Off-White boutiques and online at off–white.com.