Fashion courts the b-ball culture
It retails online for $1,600. “It is definitely a piece that combines basketball and design,” Canalin said. “We wanted to take something you don’t really see as luxurious and make it a luxury item.” The Undrcrwn line started with Canalin, who began thinking about his own label while working as design director for And 1. He named the company Undrcrwn because he thought his potential customers considered themselves kings of the underground.
In May 2005, American Sporting Goods bought And 1 for an undisclosed amount. That summer, with the help of his friends, Canalin launched Undrcrwn with five T-shirts, two of which featured caricatures of rappers Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. Together, the trio invested about $50,000 in the new company. The next year, the guys used their And 1 skills to introduce their first sneaker, the Layup.
Later, Canalin signed a deal with Adidas, which was looking to make more fashion-oriented shoes with NBA personalities Gilbert Arenas, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan and Chauncey Billups. That partnership was a big success, with each shoe selling out. “In the end, Adidas was able to place five basketball shoes that weren’t getting any love on the boutique level in hot stores,” Canalin said. The deal put Undrcrwn on the map.
This year, Undrcrwn has focused on a menswear line, releasing three collections. The line skews more ’50s varsity than ’80s preppy, a breath of fresh air from the overly collared and pleated pieces. The company is constantly hustling. Small lives in China, where the clothes are manufactured and he has his fingertips on the latest in sneaker resources. Castro spends most of his time in Los Angeles, where he is responsible for West Coast sales and trend-spotting.