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A lifestyle brand known for its declarations of N.Y.C. supremacy joins forces with baseball’s winningest franchise.
In the symbolism of New York, few brands resonate as much as the New York Yankees, the baseball franchise that has won a record 27 World Series championships. Borrowing on that symbolism, the tradition-laden team has worked with a lifestyle brand on a streetwear and athleisure collection that incorporates the team’s logo and pinstripes.
New York or Nowhere, which specializes in this genre of wearable city pride, is an apt partner for the team. The company is best known for emblazoning its name — a declaration of local self-excellence — onto everything from tote bags to beanies, from sweatpants to T-shirts. It has also collaborated with the New York Knicks on an orange and blue themed line of hoodies, scarves and baby onesies.
The Yankees collection, which includes 49 pieces, was unveiled with a campaign that features black and white photographs of Mariano Rivera, the star pitcher who entered the Baseball Hall of Fame after 19 seasons in pinstripes. In the images, shot by the hip-hop photographer Jonathan Mannion, Mr. Rivera models a selection of the line’s varsity jackets, T-shirts and New Era caps.
New York or Nowhere, often shortened to “NYON,” was founded in 2020 by the longtime friends Quincy Moore and Liz Eswein.
“Sports are a red thread for New York or Nowhere,” Mr. Moore, the label’s designer, said in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily. “The Yankees were the natural next step for us. They’re the most iconic franchise and one of the most iconic entities ever.”
“They’re really refined and classic,” Mr. Moore said of the brand’s fashion appeal. “There’s not a lot of pomp and circumstance. They don’t let their players have facial hair. The Yankees are this institution that lets their play on the field speak for itself, so that translated over into the collection quite a bit.”
In a statement about the collection, Marty Greenspun, the Yankees’ senior vice president of strategic ventures, said that the label was a “fantastic partner in bringing this project to fruition.”
The Yankees have long avoided fashion trends on the field, keeping the same basic uniform for home and away games going back to the days of Babe Ruth and requiring its players to eschew beards and long hair. But in the last few years, the team has lent its iconic logo — which is famous worldwide, even among those who don’t watch baseball — to other fashion brands as well.
The team has collaborated on collections with streetwear labels including Billionaire Boys Club and Supreme. And a partnership with Swarovski earlier this year resulted in a baseball cap studded with crystals.