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Cars and Clothes We recently
took a look at the NFL and NBA drafts and discovered that 29 of the 32 players
selected in the first round of the NFL were Black and 23 of the 30 players selected
in the first round of the NBA draft were Black. We also discovered that the 52
Black players will earn in excess of $250 million in guaranteed money, with JaMarcus
Russell leading the pack at approximately $30 million in guaranteed money. The
MVP of the Super Bowl heads for Disneyland. What about the 52 new Black millionaires?
They head straight for élevée of Los Angeles, a White-owned custom
clothing manufacturer. Since 1999, élevée has been quietly shaping
the look of the NBA and sports in general. According to estimates, there are 2,400
professional athletes who are dressed by élevée’s designers.
This year, according to stylist, Jhoanna Weigman, élevée handled
the suits for all 15 of the NBA’s 15 greenroom attendees, 13 of whom were
Black players. The company’s suits start at $1,595 and go all the way up
to “Well, what do you want to spend?” Once
the players are exposed to élevée custom clothing, they are directed
to the company’s jewelry collection, Ahee diamonds, for custom and “exclusive”
jewelry designs. Catering to the desires of its high profile professional sports
clientele, and not wanting to leave any money on the table, élevée
has created a new Motorsport & Lifestyle division that will offer customized
interiors and exterior modifications for luxury vehicles such as Bentley, Rolls-Royce,
and Mercedes. In order to deliver the customized
automobile accessories, the principals of élevée recently announced
a partnership with STRUT, a White-owned custom automotive company in San Clemente
(can anyone say Ronald Reagan) which manufactures distinctive jewelry collections,
wheels and accessories designed for luxury automobile collectors. STRUT jewelry
collections will be offered as a complementing ensemble to the vehicle reflecting
the ultimate in personalization for the 2,400 professional athletes that make
up the clientele of élevée. Can anyone say money, money, money,
moneeeeeeeey! On June 15, 2007, STRUT and
élevée co-sponsored a star studded NBA & NFL Rookie Premier
party hosted by Marcelus Wiley (formerly of the San Diego Chargers). The official
welcome party was attended by over 100 celebrities and sports professionals who
came together to welcome the new rookies at Façade—one of Los Angeles’
hottest night clubs. Throughout 2007, STRUT will work closely with élevée
to develop additional promotional opportunities that will help to further develop
brand recognition for the two companies…not for the 2,400 Black athletes. Does
anyone know Cathleen LaPorte of the Black Fashion Designers Association in New
York? We need to stop the bleeding! If
you have questions or require additional information, please contact Everett L.
Glenn, Esq. at eglenn@espsportslawpro.com
or call 562.619.8460.
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