Champion Athleticwear Launches Artist Series

HanesBrands‘ Champion Athleticwear introduces an artist series to celebrate the diversity of talent and creativity found across the U.S. The series features four street artists with unique perspectives on design, fashion, and personal expression.

The first drop comes from Ricardo Gonzalez, a designer and artist from Durango, Mexico, currently based in Brooklyn, New York, who lives by the philosophy, “It’s a Living,” which inspires his work. Gonzalez uses typography as his medium and has incorporated his signature script into a variety of work spanning large-scale murals to commercial work for brands to simple stickers seen on the streets. As part of the collection, Champion commissioned Gonzalez to create one of his signature murals in Brooklyn.

Gonzalez’s vibrant, colorful script style appears on a limited collection of Champion pieces, ranging from hoodies and graphic Ts to cut-off shorts. The apparel has black, oxford gray, white, and scarlet colors supporting neon text overlay of phrases including “Better Yourself” (pictured above), “Keep Tryin’,” “The Way Up,” and “Change The Future.” Gonzalez hopes his signature positive messages and uplifting designs unify people together during challenging times.

“As an artist and designer, it means so much to me to collaborate with Champion on an inclusive collection that promotes my positive aesthetic to the masses,” says Gonzalez. “The phrases we chose for this collection fit really well with Champion’s philosophy. My favorite piece is “Better Yourself,” as it expresses self-improvement and what it means to be competitive as a champion. I hope when people wear my Champion pieces that they feel empowered and like a champion.”

Apparel in Gonzalez’s collection launched at Champion retail stores and online on May 12. Each artist series drop will be available for a limited time with Brooklyn-based neon artist Adam Fu up next in the series. Fu will be followed later this year by New York-based Steffi Lynn and Chicago-based Merlot.

“Champion is founded on the principles of inclusion, creativity, and self-expression,” says Jon Ram, group president of global activewear for HanesBrands In, “and we are dedicated to fostering up-and-coming talent. The artist series is an exciting new chapter in our commitment to supporting a wide range of artists with the goal of inspiring all consumers to be their own Champion through their apparel – the ultimate form of self-expression.”