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On March 20, 2017 Creative Director and CEO, Antonio Brown, and partner Jason Derulo introduced their luxury urban, menswear line LVL XIII at a private dinner event at Tao Downtown in New York City.
During the dinner, YRB got a chance to talk to Antonio and Jason about the collaboration.
YRB: Jason, It’s been a few years since you graced the cover of our magazine, tell us what you have been up to and how this collaboration came about?
Jason: It’s been a exciting journey of hard work, diligence, putting blinders up and taking it as it comes. When you lead with passion , great things happen. I learned a lot since then.
The collaboration started with Darius from YRB , bringing me a pair of LVL VIII sneakers to wear when I performed on Good Morning America, and I ended up ruining them. Those were not cheap (laughs) I can understand Antonio being upset, so I invited him over to my house and we hit it off like we knew each other for years. From there we started brainstorming to where we are now. People don’t see the actual process, it took a long time, but now the brand will be available at Bloomingdale’s this summer!
YRB: Antonio, how did you feel about working with Jason and getting the brand to this point?
Antonio: Once I got to know Jason, and his true passion and fashion and where he wanted to go with his career, I asked him one day,” let’s do LVL XIII by Jason Derulo, “and he said “NO! I want the brand to sit on its own without using my name.” I respected that so much and it really set the tone going forward.
YRB: Jason, why would you go that in direction as opposed to doing a deal with Adidas or Nike?
Jason: There is something to be said about building something from the ground up. You can control things and make a product you truly believe in. It is so much more rewarding, not monetary, but creatively.
Antonio: Jason truly values the brand and he is very hands on with every aspect. I want to work with someone more than a celebrity, someone who is passionate and cares about their impact in the market.
LVL XIII is handcrafted by Italian artisans and designed for fashion forward elites… with competitive pricing.
The modern apparel and famous footwear line been carefully unveiled to friends and confidants in the entertainment business.
Designer Antonio Brown has made his mark in the fashion world, creating exclusive pieces like the long sleeve coated bomber jacket converted into a fashion statement backpack.
Its innovative style pushes boundaries with the most cutting edge materials which converts from one chic style to the next. LVL XIII footwear features signature embellishments including engraved midsole metal plates and double leather outsoles. LVL XIII It is the most sought after menswear line for work, travel, and a night out on the town. LVLXIII is a luxury street fashion house creating ultra modern apparel and footwear made in Italy and designed for the fashion forward elite.
Inspired by unyielding Ancient Roman foundations and utilitarian gear, the LVL XIII design theory transcends trends with futuristic and transformative luxuries.
Bloomingdale’s is the exclusive retailer for the LVL XIII line in-stores beginning August 2017
Check out exclusive pieces on LVL XIII’s website http://lvlxiii.com
