WILT WEAR: Sotheby’s is continuous its streak of rare sports memorabilia auctions with a latest item.

The auction house revealed Wednesday that it is going to offer NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain’s 1972 NBA Finals Los Angeles Lakers jersey in its next sports memorabilia auction. Chamberlain wore the jersey in the course of the team’s first championship win. It is anticipated to sell for greater than $4 million. The web auction will happen from Aug. 28 through Sept. 27.

“This jersey holds a very significant place within the history of Los Angeles, not only adorned by the person many consider to be the best player ever to step on the court, but as a relic from one among the best franchises in sports history,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles. “We’re incredibly excited to supply one of the vital elite sports artifacts ever to come back to market and to bring it back to its home city for a monthlong display where it will possibly be cherished by Lakers fans and basketball enthusiasts alike.” 

In accordance with Sotheby’s, the jersey is Chamberlain’s most dear item to ever appear on the auction market. The NBA player wore the jersey several times in the course of the 1972 NBA playoffs, culminating within the championship game. Throughout the championship game, Chamberlain was nursing a broken hand but still scored 24 points and had 29 rebounds. He ultimately received the NBA Finals’ MVP Award that season.

The jersey will likely be showcased in a public exhibition at Sotheby’s Los Angeles gallery from Wednesday through Aug. 31. It would then be showcased at Sotheby’s Latest York gallery from Sept. 11 to Sept. 27.

That is Sotheby’s latest sports memorabilia auction. Sotheby’s hosted its largest sports auction to this point in June, offering rare, game-worn pieces from athletes resembling LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Derek Jeter and Rafael Nadal. — LAYLA ILCHI

ON THE BEACH: Swedish sneaker brand Axel Arigato is taking up El Silencio, a beach house created by the Paris nightlife establishment Silencio, in Ibiza this summer with a branded experience that stretches beyond its footwear offering.

For the height holiday season, Axel Arigato is filling up the beach club with branded slushies, towels, inflatables, fans and sunscreens, alongside sand sculptures in the form of the soles of the brand’s sneakers.

The brand kicked off the takeover with a 12-hour summer party last week, with DJs Wekaforé and Venus X playings back-to-back sets. Guests then headed to the Cabaret Club with Cici who performed until the very end.

The brand said the takeover idea has long been on the agenda. The island is understood for its influence throughout the music scene, and music has equally been a significant a part of Axel Arigato’s brand DNA.

The brand hosts regular music gigs for its community across Europe. Its ongoing Music Truck Tour saw a slew of buzzy music artists performing in Berlin, Stockholm, Amsterdam and London, and is heading to Paris afterward.

The brand can also be hosting a celebration at Sweden’s Way Out West Festival in collaboration with Soho House later this yr. — TIANWEI ZHANG

ETRO’S EXPANSION: Etro is expanding its store footprint.

The Italian fashion company has opened its first monobrand boutique in Monte Carlo, positioned on the Metropole Shopping.

As well as, the brand has unveiled a newly restyled shop-in-shop at Rinascente in Milan and a corner on Harrods’ first floor in London.

The brand new spaces were decorated in sync with the brand, with walnut wood and champagne-finished metal characterizing the artisanal furnishings entirely made in Italy, as is the woven carpet in agave and metal. Resin and concrete are a number of the fundamental elements, along with the paisley-patterned wallpaper — a reference to Etro’s signature motif, and soft upholstered seats.

The brand new boutique in Monte Carlo will carry Etro’s women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collections, while the curated selections for Rinascente and Harrods will exclusively feature women’s designs. The brand new locations in Monte Carlo and Milan were designed in collaboration with the multidisciplinary design studio Thirtyone.

Etro’s collections are designed by creative director Marco De Vincenzo, who joined the brand in June last yr. In May, the Italian fashion house signed a licensing agreement with manufacturing company Simonetta for the event and production of the Etro Kids line, which is about to incorporate newborn, baby and junior collections. In January, De Vincenzo unveiled his first men’s collection for the brand, and in April, his first home and interiors collection, during Salone del Mobile, which included a tie-up with Latest York-based artist Amy Lincoln.

In June, Etro and Safilo Group inked a 10-year licensing agreement for the design, manufacturing and distribution of eyewear collections. The primary sun and optical collection will bow for spring 2024.

Etro relies on a world store network that comprises greater than 130 boutiques everywhere in the world.

The brand is widely known for its signature paisley motif, daring patterns inspired by travel, and precious fabrics. The corporate was founded in 1968 as a textile firm. Within the ‘80s, it expanded into men’s and girls’s ready-to-wear collections, accessories, beauty, fragrances and residential goods. — ANDREA ONATE

JEREMY, THE JUDGE: Jeremy Scott will host the sixteenth annual Supima Design Competition, where eight finalists from the nation’s leading design schools will compete for a $10,000 prize. The show will happen during Latest York Fashion Week on Sept. 7 at 3 p.m.

“I’ve been glad to be a small a part of helping bring latest talents to the larger public’s awareness on the past two seasons of Amazon Original’s ‘Making the Cut.’ So it was an incredible honor to be asked to host the Supima Design Competition’s Sweet 16. How could I say no? I look ahead to seeing all of the finalists’ work,” said Scott, who’s the creative director of his namesake label and former creative director of Moschino.

The Supima Design Competition supports emerging talent by enlisting graduates from top design universities across the country. This yr’s finalists include Amber Kuia, Academy of Art University; Carla Pierini, Drexel University; Alexander Ziemba, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising; Hee Jin Hwang, Fashion Institute of Technology; Wendy Weng, Kent State University; Tianze Wu, Parsons School of Design, The Latest School; Sahara Clemons, Rhode Island School of Design, and Mariana Espinosa, School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

These finalists are chosen to partake in a months-long mentorship program through Supima, the nonprofit luxury brand that promotes the usage of American-grown Pima cotton worldwide. The mentorship program culminates in a showcase of eveningwear capsule collections created with Supima cotton fabrics. The sixteenth annual competition provides the scholars with visibility and a probability at a financial prize of $10,000 awarded to the winner to support their fashion industry profession kick-off.

Scott will emcee the live runway show and be joined by this yr’s panel of judges, which incorporates greater than 20 industry veterans, tastemakers, editors, designers and stylists.

“Jeremy Scott is the personification of the Supima Design Competition. He has dedicated his profession to supporting emerging designers and brings that sense of mentorship to the Supima Design Competition. Who higher to host the Supima Design Competition and provides insight to this talented group of newly minted designers than Jeremy who has already walked their path and may challenge them to push the boundaries of creativity. He’s a real inspiration,” said Buxton Midyette, vp of promoting and promotions at Supima.

All eight finalists will present their final designs in the course of the Latest York Fashion Week runway presentation, where the jury will determine this yr’s winner. The winner will likely be announced live in the course of the Supima Design Competition runway show, which can even be available to livestream on Supima’s Instagram page.

Once more, CFDA Award-winning eveningwear designer Bibhu Mohapatra will join the Supima Design Competition for his ninth yr as mentor to the finalists. — LISA LOCKWOOD

PLAYING LIFE’S OBSTACLES: Shave brand Billie is taking a jab at double standards affecting women with its cheekily designed, aptly named board game, “No Worries If Not.”

Retailing for $24.99, the sport challenges players to traverse through obstacles like “Self-doubt Spiral” and “Judgment Junction” so as to get to the finish; game pieces include desk salad, biological clock and everlasting youth, amongst others.

“As a team, not only did this project allow us to relate and commiserate with each other, but making a joke out of those absurd scenarios that girls are faced with in each day life quickly makes you realize that the entire game is pointless,” said Georgina Gooley, who launched Billie in 2017 alongside Jason Bravman.

The brand tapped director Luca Venter and actress Ruby McCollister for an accompanying, retro-style infomercial to sell the sport, which ultimately embodies the ethos Billie was founded on: Women shouldn’t must maneuver the expectations of others as a requisite for existing.

“This isn’t a one-off marketing campaign; we’ve all the time said we’re here to champion women and upend the societal pressures women face,” said Gooley, who has long prioritized showcasing real leg, body and pubic hair in Billie’s commercials, which historically has not been the case amongst women shave brands.

A portion of proceeds from No Worries If Not will go toward women’s organizations including Every Mother Counts, YWCA and Black Girls Code.

In 2021, Billie was acquired for $310 million by Schick maker Edgewell. Inside three months the brand made its first retail expansion in all Walmart doors and has since entered most national retailers including CVS Pharmacy, Goal and Walgreens. The brand’s products, which range in price from $5 for a razor travel case to $37 for the four-piece Ultimate Shave Set, also sell at Amazon. — NOOR LOBAD

TRIPLE PLAY: UpWest, a recent men’s and girls’s brand under the Expr umbrella together with Express and Bonobos, will open three stores this summer.

The apparel, accessories, wellness and residential goods brand, whose mission is to “Provide Comfort for People & Planet,” operates 13 stores across the U.S. The brand new locations will likely be Pearl Street in downtown Boulder, Colorado, which is able to open on Saturday; Bellevue Square in Bellevue, Washington, on Aug. 26, and The Mall at Green Hills in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 9. Each store will offer the total assortment of UpWest’s men’s and girls’s apparel crafted from sustainable fabrics, together with outdoor accessories, candles and diffusers, throw pillows and blankets.

In line with its mission, UpWest will partner with local organizations to donate 1 percent of sales in each of the brand new stores to the respective communities. During each location’s opening weekend, UpWest will donate 100% of sales and $1 for each customer e-mail collected.

“We’re thrilled to expand UpWest’s presence with the opening of three latest stores in Bellevue, Boulder and Nashville,” said Jamie Schisler, president and chief comfort officer. “These locations will offer our customers a real brand experience while supporting local organizations. We are able to’t wait to share UpWest’s mission and encourage shoppers in these cities to be a part of our vision for a greater, more compassionate world through our Give Back programs.”

Along with the shop rollout, UpWest will partner this winter with the Aura app on a capsule collection of apparel that can include QR codes on the inside label offering curated meditations by Aura, in addition to specific design elements resembling soft touch snaps and functional fidgets. These special design details were created in partnership with Mental Health America to assist promote grounding. Throughout the winter season, each order on UpWest.com will go toward providing one free mental health screening in partnership with Mental Health America.

UpWest was founded in 2019 and while Expr doesn’t provide sales volume for its individual divisions, the brand posted sales growth of 43 percent last yr, in accordance with the 2022 annual report, and expanded beyond its own direct-to-consumer operations to a wholesale relationship with Nordstrom. Its casual sportswear and loungewear is created from organic cotton and recycled polyester and nylon. — JEAN E. PALMIERI