Russell Athletic is back to share their latest community project with A.V.O. Boyz and The Council in partnership with Highsnobiety. Russell’s mission is to support athletic communities like skateboarding and dance, Russell Athletic has partnered with New York City-based A.V.O Boyz and West Coast crew, The Council, to create a signature collaboration line with logos and make their choice.
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Russell Athletic Partners With A.V.O. Boyz and The Council
We spoke with the A.V.O. Boyz about the partnership
Russell Athletic
The Council / Russell Athletic
The brand partnered with the all-female empowerment collective, The Council. This six-woman dance company was founded in 2015 by movement artist Sheopatra Jones who brought on YoE, Crystal, Amari, Storm, Alexa, and SHE. They have caught the attention of celebrities like Justin Bieber, Kehlani, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion and have been featured on The Ellen Show and the main stage for TED TALKS.
AVO Boyz / Russell Athletic
Additionally, Russell Athletic collaborated with the A.V.O. Boyz, which stands for "Africa's Very Own". They are an African dance crew founded in 2014 by brothers Stephen and Emmanuel Ojo and Caleb Bonney, best known for their performances in Beyoncé's Black Is King and with Big Sean & A$AP Ferg at this year's MTV VMAs. This is their first capsule collection.
We spoke with A.V.O. Boyz’ Stephen Ojo and Caleb Bonney earlier this week to discuss this partnership. You can check out the full interview below.
A.V.O. Boyz / Russell Athletic
ONE37pm: Thanks for talking to us! As professional dancers, how are dance and fashion intertwined?
Stephen: Dance is a freedom of expression, and so is fashion, so they go hand in hand. As a dancer, you need to be able to be able to freely express yourself, and it’s the same thing with style. I know for me, when I feel well, I dress well, and when I’m not feeling the best, I’m not dressed the best.
Caleb: As Stephen said, the two go hand in hand. When you look good, it just adds to your swagger as a dancer, and the thing about Russell Athletic is that you can express yourself through casual athletic clothing that also makes you feel good while dancing.
ONE37pm: How did the partnership with Russell Athletic come to be?
Stephen: My roommate came to me about the idea of reaching out to brands, and Russell Athletic actually reached out to us for a collaboration which is a great honor! We were able to use our logo, outreach and fully portray who we are through dance and some dope pictures!
Caleb: It felt good to go out there and represent ourselves. We’re proud of our business and happy to be recognized. For us, we’ve put in the groundwork, and it was nice to also see that represented through fashion.
ONE37pm: Final question. What’s in the works for the near future?
Stephen: We’re not gonna lie, the pandemic did set us back a bit in terms of our plans, but we are finding ways to push through and adapt. We’re planning plenty of projects, and we hope to work with some more big names in the future!
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