LOS ANGELES, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Fabletics released four limited edition ‘BHM Tees’ in collaboration with Melissa Koby and Rob Lewis, two artists dedicated to continuing the conversation about Black representation. Thoughtfully named ‘Kindred’, ‘Harmony’, ‘Africobra’ and ‘Festac 77’', each original illustration represents the desire for peace and unity among diverse, underrepresented communities. As part of the collaboration, Fabletics has pledged a $50k donation in support of two organizations selected by both artists, Community Spring and Imagine Black Futures, whose missions are dedicated to strengthening the Black community.
Melissa Koby, a Florida-based artist, creates her colorful illustrations as a way of processing the current cultural climate, emphasizing issues of social justice and equality, as well as celebrating women. “My designs are typically set within a soft landscape to give a sense of tranquility, with subjects from various backgrounds symbolizing the balance of power,” says Koby. Both the ‘Kindred’ and ‘Harmony’ shirts represent individually strong women who lean on community for support and connection. “My hope is that women everywhere will see a reflection of themselves in my designs.”
Rob Lewis brings his thought-provoking designs to life through graphic design, textiles and collages. “Learning about the legendary World Black & African Festival of Arts and Culture, more commonly referred to as FESTAC, has given me the space to dream and permission to celebrate the power of gathering for the sole purpose of deepening connection to ourselves and each other,” says Lewis. The ‘Africobra’ tee was inspired by the artistic collective AFRICobra and their influence on the Black Power movement in America. The tee features symbols representing strength and protection. “I chose a protective hand, cowrie shells, and a triangle pattern believed to symbolize prayer on Civil War era quilts, all of which remind me to always honor the depth and richness of my culture,” says Lewis.
Fabletics is proud to partner with Community Spring in Gainesville, Florida which aims to dismantle structural poverty and spur economic mobility and Imagine Black Futures in Portland, Oregon, which helps foster a world where people of African descent enjoy the rights, resources and recognition to be thriving, resilient and connected within society.
Fabletics will use its social platforms throughout the month of February to bring attention to Black History Month with a variety of content highlighting the collaborations including both live interviews and a panel discussion with both artists to be streamed on @fabletics and @fableticsmen. The diverse Fabletics member and influencer community will also showcase the tees IRL across the brand’s social channels.
The limited-edition ‘BMH Tees’ are designed on the classic Fabletics ‘Go-To’ tee silhouette, are relaxed in fit, gender-neutral and offered in inclusive sizing XS-XXL. The tees are available for $39.95 (VIP price) on fabletics.com and in retail stores, starting February 1.
About Fabletics
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in El Segundo, CA, Fabletics is the largest digitally native activewear brand in the world*. By fusing style-centric designs with high-performance technology, Fabletics is creating the world’s most fashionable, high-performance active lifestyle products at an accessible price. Driven by its innovative VIP membership program serving over 2 million loyal members and powered by analysis from its Fashion OS tech platform enabling deep customer understanding, Fabletics has evolved activewear beyond the gym into every walk of life, guided by its foundational belief that everyone and every body deserves to look and feel their best.
See and shop the collections in the US, Canada, Europe and in person at the brand’s state-of-the-art retail stores in over 75 locations.
*Source: Euromonitor International Limited; Based on total global retail sales in the calendar year 2020 from custom research conducted by Euromonitor in October 2021. Activewear is defined as per Sports Apparel in Euromonitor Apparel & Footwear 2021 edition. Digitally Native brands are defined as having begun sales exclusively online and not through other sales channels such as physical stores or mail-and-order catalogues.
Contacts:
Arielle Schechtman: aschechtman@fabletics.com
Carli Bendetti: cbendetti@fabletics.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2ed39918-52a1-4df2-ba77-aea521f11751
