NOVEL NEXT 86. sports fashion.
January 24
After renewing its contract with Lux Comics for a four-year duration, the NBA itself wanted to get in on the action and made some calls to Nike to be part of the project—or more accurately, to earn some dollars by lending their association name. At Nike's suggestion, basketball stadiums on game days now feature a small section of trading cards under the glass displays, thanks to the new trading card distributor. This partnership also includes a licensing deal that costs the NBA $6 million.
Is it fair? Yes, it is. The NBA, as a group, has a massive market that not only allows Nike to dominate the North American market but also build strong relations with the NBA. Let's not forget that there's a significant event coming up around 1992.
In the wake of the unfortunate loss of the U.S. basketball team in the Olympics, the United States is eager to turn those defeats around with a new story. It begins with improving the current selection team, with the premise that NBA players cannot be part of the team. So far, the only confirmed name is Larry Bird, but there are rumors that some other veterans who feel their time is running out need visibility, and there's nothing better than the 1992 Olympics.
The famous Dream Team is coming together, and more and more sports stars are interested in being part of these basketball teams. The selection process has relaxed, and they aim to create a team of stars that can dominate the basketball tournament as much as possible. History is being written, and there are many sports fans around the world, some closely following the NBA in some of its most important games. They will know the caliber of players we are talking about. Among the names in this glorious team are Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and...
It's a dream lineup that contains the best of the best from the golden era of basketball associations, ranking far above the U.S. teams from different eras.
The NBA was under the leadership of David Stern, the league's commissioner, who had a lot on his plate in the coming years. At the request of the selection committee, efforts were made to bring in a team of veteran players to provide the young ones with better ways to excel. Stern never anticipated the avalanche of requests and meetings he would have with the many players who wanted to be part of this project.
One of those who made proposals for the basketball team was Rod Thorn. He was interested in the negotiations to invite professionals from the American basketball league. The goal was to secure dominance in the Olympic games, the event that pitted the best against the best, in this case, the best country against the best country.
Therefore, there was no time to waste. Nike had been accommodating to the NBA as a whole, allowing them to get their way in some negotiations. Money kept flowing in, and spending a little more or a little less was of little concern to them because their annual revenues were through the roof.
Philip Knight himself had announced that they would provide all the equipment the U.S. basketball team needed, along with calls to friendly brands that would bring in sponsorship funds for the association. They estimated that they would even make the team's uniforms, a special outfit for a special occasion, as Philip Knight put it.
The head of Nike had been making strategic moves to establish themselves in the market, much like a chess player moving pieces delicately and conducting business here and there with all the expertise needed to excel in the world of commerce.
Now was the time for them to make a lot of money in the upcoming years.
Therefore, the arrival of Suzanne Becker, a sports fashion designer for both men and women, at Lux Comics was just another move of capital, extending its long tentacles. Suzanne was one of the most practical and amiable designers at Nike, making her the best fit to work with Billy, an artist who knew little about fashion. She would teach him the boundaries of fashion, emphasizing that good design should go hand in hand with good aesthetic construction. Even a poorly designed but well-executed piece is better than a well-designed one executed poorly. The most crucial factor is the final product, where designers not only create the clothing but also evaluate the perfect possibility of bringing it to life.
-I agree, Billy. I'll send Carl Blakeslee to work on the men's clothing line. He's eager to create this new line of clothing, and with my guidance, you should have no issues working together. But enough talk; you'll be working with me on the women's and unisex jackets in the upcoming days, - Suzanne Becker mentioned.
-These are the designs I currently have, - Billy said, recalling the many differences he had noticed in fashion. He had somewhat gotten used to the '80s style.
During some free time, Billy made adjustments to the clothing designs he believed would work best. Coincidentally, the clothing in this era was not as tight-fitting as in future generations, except for the famous yoga pants. He modified the designs using his fuzzy fashion memories, adapting them to the characteristic colors of the new Slam Dunk fashion.
In total, there were about fourteen models of pants, shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, and shoes for women. However, the designs were a bit outdated in terms of the way clothing designs were created, as understood by Suzanne Becker, the fashion designer. There were quite a few mistakes in deciphering silhouettes and cuts.
The clothing was created to be used by people of different sizes, from larger to smaller, with wide or narrow shoulders, long or short arms, and long or short legs. It aimed to adapt to the human body through 2D drawings, using cuts, patterns, and perspective. The same garment was drawn in different ways. The existing technology for sports clothing hadn't evolved much.
-I don't quite understand what you mean by pants with zippers, - Suzanne said.
-Well, it's about making the boot fit the leg more closely with layers. Using zippers is for accessibility, but the zippers should be thin and made of plastic, you know, to avoid issues with ankles. Metal zippers can be quite painful, - Billy explained, remembering the metal zippers from his previous life.
-Zippers have been used before, but their implementation can be challenging. Changing the material could indeed be beneficial, but we don't have that technology yet. However, pants with layers sound interesting; let's think about making them practical, - Suzanne said.
-Adapting sounds somewhat complex, - Billy remarked.
-Well, I like this design; the jacket has a certain freshness to it. Let's work towards the best while you get the hang of what can be made to manufacturing standards, - Suzanne replied.
She took out a notebook with small fabric swatches, each about half a sheet long.
-Take a look and choose which one you think suits the clothing style better, - Suzanne said.
The entire drawing process took nearly five hours, resulting in three specific clothing sets. Billy watched Suzanne leave in a taxi. She was undoubtedly refined, with her slow walk and an aura of beauty that radiated from her being. Her confident and charismatic demeanor, along with her subtle smiles, were quite impressive.
That's how designers are; how would models behave, Billy pondered.
-Anne, can you drive me home tonight? - Billy asked.
-Of course, you're my boss! I can't refuse your requests, - Anne replied graciously. - By the way, Jim Waitt called while you were in your design class. It seems you're getting some money for the Terminator script. There's a royalty agreement, 0.5% of the North American box office gross, - she said.
-0.5%? That's fantastic! - Billy exclaimed.
-Yes, it's good to receive more money, even if it's a small percentage. Money talks, - Anne replied.
-Anne, do you know how much the North American market has grossed? - Billy asked.
-I haven't been keeping track of those things. I have a lot of work. My boss decided to handle a lot of business lately, starting a new company, expanding food and toy franchises, searching for a new comic distributor, buying stocks, filing taxes, negotiating the agreement for the presumed purchase of the neighboring land and some vacant lots in Los Angeles, - Anne explained.
-Well, I feel the same way. You need a secretary, and I need someone to help me with the process of my comics. Put it on the list for the secretary to handle all our mess, - Billy said.
-That would be fantastic, but it's not necessary. I'm the one handling those tasks for you. What I need is an accounting specialist and a negotiator to assist us with real estate purchases and various company dealings, - Anne replied.
-Let's hire an accountant and a negotiator then - Billy agreed.
-Just the accountant will do, - Anne said.
-Well, the last time I checked, the box office was at $249 million, which would be a million in percentage, - Billy replied.
-My God! That's a lot of money! How can a movie make so much money? - Anne exclaimed.
-Well, attendance rates are through the roof, - Billy said.
-Perfect, let's pay the bills for the year in advance, - Anne suggested.
-No, let's buy stocks and the neighboring land, - Billy said, getting up from his chair. - Let's invest in General Electric and Cisco Systems. -
-All the money? - Anne asked.
-No, just one million. The rest will go toward paying the bills. With that in mind, let's stop investing for now. We have three loans totaling 14 million dollars. It's better to reach the bubble without liabilities in the bank, - Billy explained.
-That sounds reasonable. Let's aim to pay off the oldest loans of 6.5 million and three million as much as we can, -Anne suggested.
-Have you called Warner? - the young man exclaimed. - They owe us money. I've heard that royalties for Yu Yu Hakusho are sky-high. -
-I've tried three times, sent two letters, and in all of them, I've received silence. They have 30 days to respond once they deliver the financial statements in March. I think they're avoiding us, - Anne said bitterly. Warner had closed their participation in Hanna-Barbera for the continuation of Ghost in the Shell/Yu Yu Yakusho and were now denying royalty payments.
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