Chris Brown couture? Yes, indeed, it’s true.
The pop star donned a fresh look and creative venture last night in Los Angeles, launching a collaborative line of street-savvy merchandise as part of a growing entrepreneurial endeavor through his new brand, Black Pyramid.
After premiering the initial designs in August, the Grammy Award-winning artist expanded on his recent enterprise by partnering with hip hop style-setters Pink + Dolphin to create an exclusive line of t-shirts, hoodies, hats and other gear for the young, free-spirited and city slickest of souls.
“It’s about friendship,” the 23-year-old told theGrio at a meet and greet, in-store signing with fans, relating the clothing line to his collective efforts in music. “It’s just like fashion and hanging out. Being able to collab with them, with my brand…It’s just getting off heat for what’s coming and what the future holds.”
Brown’s unique design for the brand melds together the logos of both companies to create the image of an upside down black pyramid with pink dolphins rising from the top. The series consists of casual tops and accessories that contrast gray and black retro tones, with splices of color, and turn simple drawings into stenciled iconography.
The idea first struck Brown when he met the Pink + Dolphin crew on the set of his music video “My Last” with Big Sean, and a friendship quickly developed. The singer says he generally pursues business projects based on like-minded camaraderie, thus his choice to embark on the proposal with the designer team was built on a bond.
“A couple years ago, we was like, ‘man, we just trying to get noticed,” the star said, pointing out the growing attention the store has received over the past year. “It’s gonna be beneficial to everybody.”
For Pink + Dolphin, the deal with Brown marks the boutique company’s latest fruitful endeavor in the music world, following the production of designer lines with rappers 2 Chainz and Chief Keef earlier this year. The company opened up its flagship store in L.A. only months ago, and has been actively promoting itself in the online sphere as well.
“The brand is based on exclusivity – being unique, being different – that’s the whole background,” Pink + Dolphin CEO Neima Khaila said. “Pink dolphins are real animals – they’re an endangered species – that’s what we modeled the whole brand after.”
With the joint line, Brown broadens his own imprinting project in Black Pyramid, a wardrobe line created for the online trend-finding platform Mechanical Dummy. The Fortune singer first tweeted photos of himself and others modeling his original urban attire in August, displaying a variety of looks that veered from ultra bright hoodies, sweat suits and jackets to minimalist t-shirts with black and white sketch-work graphics. There’s also an assortment of miniature astronaut figures titled “Dum English” up for grabs.
Brown’s alliance with Pink + Dolphin capitalizes on the understated flair of his vision, and began from a sketch he drew, which was later filled in with color by the company’s designer. The joint series currently sells at mid-level price range and is geared towards the sophisticated youth shopper.
“We’re a new generation of young entrepreneurships coming up so it just made sense to collaborate [with Brown],” Khaila added. “We just embrace creativity and creative people.”
In other positive Brown news, earlier this week, he celebrated the ongoing efforts of the Symphonic Love Foundation, an organization he launched to support and create arts programs for youth while “encouraging every day public service, respect and kindness.” The Foundation centers on programs in the areas of art and love, and has donated over $200,000 this year alone towards its mission. Sales of Dum English toys specifically benefit the charity.
Subsequently, Brown opened up on past digressions in an interview with MTV for the show, This is How I Made It.
“To get personal opinion back and having to gain personal success back, you know, it’s not all the way back you know,” he told the outlet. “But it’s one of my most humbling experiences. I can’t hate people for making judgment on me…All I can do is try to be better as a person and I’m good at knowing, you know, everything isn’t always going to be perfect.”
He added, “My story or my life or my legacy can hopefully show them that once you’re down, that don’t just mean you’re down forever. You never let up.”
Follow Courtney Garcia on Twitter at @courtgarcia