Latest news with #PlayaSociety
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Culture Meets Court: Playa Society, Cash App, and Atlanta Dream Launch One-Of-A-Kind Design
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 22: A general view of the court at State Farm Arena prior to the game ... More between the Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever on May 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Playa Society, a basketball streetwear apparel brand, Cash App, and the Atlanta Dream teamed up on May 22 in the team's home opener against the Indiana Fever with a custom court design, a one of its kind collaboration joining basketball, finance, and fashion to 17,044 fans. The court at State Farm Arena was emblazoned with one of Playa Society's designs 'Pay Some Respect to Women's Sports" indicating the monumental crossover and popularity of the brand within the women's basketball community. During the game, the court design accompanying t-shirt sold out before tip-off and is still sold out on Playa Society's website. The "Pay Some Respect to Women's Sports" associating t-shirt with the Atlanta Dream court ... More collaboration sold out in arena and online on May 22, 2025. The floor collaboration is one of many in the last year couple years that has elevated Playa Society to new heights including working with Cash App, Door Dash, and the WNBA. Playa Society also appeared as a pop-up store with NCAA Women's March Madness beginning with the 2023 Dallas Final Four, and most recently in Tampa for the 2025 Final Four. Playa Society also joined forces with Door Dash and 2025 WNBA overall first round pick to the Dallas Wings, Paige Bueckers. Bueckers was recently named the Creative Director for Door Dash for the 2025 WNBA season and created a t-shirt promoting the past, present and future of the WNBA with Playa Society. The t-shirt donned with the phrase 'Buckets Don't Lie', a nod to Bueckers nickname, sold out within minutes and is still sold out on the Playa Society website. For CEO, founder, and lead designer Esther Wallace the surge of interest in Playa Society has been years in the making. Wallace established Playa Society in 2018 after acknowledging a gap in designs specific for women athletes and women's sports communities. She said, 'When I first started I had the idea and the vision. I knew I wanted to solve for the problem, or fill the gap, essentially, of the missing brand for women in sports, for female athletes, and for the community.' Wallace first began the company with the infamous female athlete t-shirt, it was a proof of concept about the purchasing power of the women sports community. She explained, 'That first t-shirt was proof of concept for me. It was proof of concept for the market as well, because this did not exist. The female athlete t-shirt was the first viral women's sports t-shirt on the market. It was the first t-shirt that a number of athletes were wearing across multiple sports, fitness, and all those things. And in over three years, we sold about 20,000 to 30,000 female athlete t-shirts, hoodies, socks, etc.' Esther Wallace, founder of the apparel company Playa Society, launched the company in 2018 with the ... More female athlete t-shirt and made it her full-time job two years later. From the first t-shirt, Playa Society's growth and development was accelerated by the support from WNBA players themselves who appreciated and began wearing the brand, which led to designing t-shirts for the players. Wallace expounded, 'When I all I had was a female athlete t-shirt, and Candace Parker was on my website buying t-shirts, or Sylvia Fowles, of course, I was going to make them the first players that I put on a t-shirt, because I appreciated their support so much. And now it's a lot of simply keeping up with the demand of the community.' As Wallace described, now her clothing designs reflect meeting the demands of the women's sport and basketball community, as well as drawing and creating clothing that features collegiate and professional women figures that are excelling at their craft (i.e., designing a t-shirt for South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, 2024 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, etc.). Esther Wallace working on designs for her line Playa Society. This includes an exclusive partnership with the WNBA that came early in the company's infancy, 'I was able to have a conversation with the WNBA about what licensing would look like, and that's something that I had dreamed of. So I thought that was going to be something that was five years down the road, not really year three expecting to sit down and have that conversation. And when I did, they came back and they said, 'Yeah, let's do it.' And so it was almost this fast track, and all of a sudden I had to react to the demand, because I didn't necessarily plan to have the WNBA license so early with with such limited experience and limited resources, but I think much like sports, right when you're kind of in the fourth quarter, the demand is there, the pressure is there, you got to show up and show out. And so I think that's really how I've been navigating ever since launching the female t-shirt.' Wallace feels the storytelling and authenticity of the brand and the designs is what has drawn people in. Additionally, Wallace's former playing and coaching experience has allowed her to know her clientele. She elaborated, 'I think I always have to think that it's the product, it's the storytelling, it's the design. And I think the icing on on the cake is that I have a connection. I've seen the game from so many different angles, and I feel like that really plays into the product that I put out.' For fans of the brand they can expect to see Playa Society at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend with some exclusive drops that Wallace is keeping close to the vest, 'I definitely can't say just yet, but I think it should be out there soon. I think All-Star is going to be a big moment for us. It usually is, and so we're really looking forward to hopefully something really dope at All-Star.' Follow me on X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MiLaysia Fulwiley reaping benefits of partnership with NBA All-Star Steph Curry
University of South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley (12) drives past Tennessee Tech's Chloe Larry (21) and Keeley Carter (24) during the first half of action in the First Round game of the NCAA Tournament at the Colonial Life Arena on Friday, March 21, 2025. MiLaysia Fulwiley was scrolling on social media late Thursday night when she saw something that nearly brought her to tears. The South Carolina sophomore guard saw pictures and video of Golden State Warriors All-Star guard Stephen Curry walking in Chase Center wearing Fulwiley's 'Playa Society' T-shirt that shows a caricature of her in her Gamecock uniform. The shirt retails for $45. Advertisement ESPN's post of Curry wearing Fulwiley's T-shirt had more than 400,000 views. 'I was like, 'Oh my God,' I can't believe it. … When I seen him with my shirt on, it was like a dream come true,' Fulwiley said Friday after the Gamecocks' 108-48 win over Tennessee Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 'For him to do that, it shows what a good person he is. Because he didn't have to do it just because I'm signed with his label.' Fulwiley said Curry was supposed to have worn the T-shirt sometime last year but things never materialized. But Curry wearing it this year came at a better time as the Gamecocks go after their second straight national championship. Fuwiley scored 15 points in 19 minutes of the Gamecocks' first-round victory. Advertisement Curry has a connection with the sophomore senior guard dating back to her high school days. She attended his invitation-only camps in California and she played for Curry's AAU team during the summer before her senior year at Keenan High School. Fulwiley was in shock when she got the initial call from Curry to play on his AAU squad, as she already was on a successful team the previous two summers. 'I had to leave because Curry asked me. It was a no-brainer,' Fulwiley said. 'My mom was like, you have to do it. He doesn't just call anyone and ask them to play for him. My mom was like, if you play with him he might be able to give you an NIL deal, and that is exactly what happened.' Advertisement Fulwiley became the first college athlete to sign a name, image and likeness deal with the Curry Brand in March 2024. 'When it comes to the ability to change the game for good, nobody can speak to that more than MiLaysia,' Curry said in a release after he signed Fulwiley last year. 'She's changing the women's game on the fly with how she plays and moves on the court.' Fulwiley had news of her own Friday as her Curry Brand Grade MF12 'Butta' shoes dropped shortly after the Gamecocks' victory. This is her second pair of Curry Brand shoes released this year. In February, the Curry 'FamLAY' Garnet and Black shoes were released and those were the ones she wore in Friday's game. Fulwiley also gave each of her teammates a pair of the shoes for Valentine's Day. Advertisement The new 'Butta' shoes are gold in color, representing more of Fulwiley's flashy on-court personality and her social media handle Laywitdabutter. Fulwiley said she will wear them during the NCAA Tournament. 'I wanted to do something that represented my name and my swagger,' Fulwiley said. '… I feel like I am a very bright person and stand out a lot. It is only right to have bright shoes. I love how they created them. I gave them my colorways and ideas and they put them together.'
