For Our Heritage Month, a popular NFL team might look a little different. The NFL’s Local Designer Collaboration Program is offering emerging brands and boutiques the opportunity to create NFL team-branded apparel — and the New York Giants are are flexing on that chance to bring fans an exciting collaboration. In partnership with Agni Atelier, a luxury streetwear company based in New York City, the team is releasing a limited edition “Los Giants” apparel collaboration.
Twice a year, this NFL program allows each team to collaborate with up-and-coming designers, and this time it’s Agni Atelier’s turn to bring a little bit of what makes them special to the team’s look.
Ariel Gonzalez, co-founder and creative director of Agni Atelier, shared with Remezcla that, initially, the team wanted to put Los Gigantes – the full team’s name in Spanish — in the collection. However, he disagreed, sharing, “We said, let’s keep it ‘Los Giants’ because no one calls [them] Los Gigantes.’” But he also shared how Spanglish gave it a unique twist, adding, “We liked the word Los in front of it.”
The entire collection includes hoodies, t-shirts, crewnecks, and socks with the very special Agni Atelier touch. “We put a little sparkle effect,” Gonzalez shared of the details. “The words have a little shine.”
Jorge Peña, co-founder and marketing director of Agni Atelier, added that the company is about quality over quantity, which is evident in this collection. “Our parents instilled that in us, and we brought that attention to detail to our brand,” he said. “Now, we’re bringing it to our collaboration with the Giants.”
Gonzalez and Peña, who together make up Agni Atelier, have known each other since high school and been best friends for 24 years. Gonzalez has worked as a celebrity stylist for some of the biggest names in reggaeton, but then, “misfortune with a fortune came in,” as Peña put it. Covid happened. The unprecedented times led them to experiment with their brand. That’s when they had to see “what we had the time and availability to do it,” Gonzalez shared.
“We had earlier success with our hoodies,” Gonzalez told us. But ironically, during the pandemic, the thing that kept them alive was making face masks with the word “Fuego” — masks that they were hand-delivering to customers.
Once they saw that new interest, they thought, “If we could do what we’re doing with face masks, imagine what we could do if we just put out more hoodies, more socks, more t-shirts.” And then things, as they say, “started happening.”
This opportunity lead them to this partnership with the NFL and Los Giants apparel that even non-fans will want to own.
On behalf of the team, Pete Guelli, Chief Commercial Officer of New York Giants, added: “The Giants are committed to delivering unique elements for Giants fans across all cultures and backgrounds. We have a loyal and proud Latino fan base, one of the biggest in the NFL, and we will continue to look for ways to highlight Latin excellence.”
The Agni Atelier collection in partnership with the New York Giants is available today and can be purchased through the Agni Atelier website.
