Love & Basketball fans have something to rejoice about, thanks to Playa Society’s latest drop.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the beloved film, Playa Society’s Esther Wallace and filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood have joined forces to launch Drop I, the first capsule in a year-long apparel collaboration celebrating Love & Basketball.
“I believe, just from being an athlete, that you don’t get ready, you stay ready,” Wallace, CEO and founder of Playa Society, said in a recent interview with Blavity, along with Prince-Bythewood.
What is Playa Society?
Created in 2018, Playa Society is a Black woman-owned, sports-inspired streetwear company. A former college athlete and the creative force behind the brand, Wallace has married her love for the game and her passion for fashion. Playa Society champions women athletes while also challenging the status quo in sports culture.
“For me, it’s understanding that I’ve had a lot of practice, so I’m grateful for all the practice that I’ve had before this moment to be prepared for this drop,” Wallace said. “I consider, you know, the entire journey to be practice and just preparing for this moment. As many times as I’ve seen the film Love and Basketball, I was preparing for this moment as well. I take a lot of pride in being up for the challenge. You never know what the timeline will look like. You never know which factors will be thrown into the mix. I also think that when you’re passionate about something, that usually helps fuel that extra incentive to get things done. So it’s a combination of those things and just staying prepared.”
In recent years, Wallace has made quite a name for herself and Playa Society as the driving force for many WNBA collaborations and drops, including the apparel line for the newly formed WNBA team the Golden State Valkyries.
From the big screen to apparel
Released in theaters in 2000, Love & Basketball follows the story of next-door neighbors and athletes Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) and Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) as they pursue their respective basketball careers while falling in love.
“This is the first time that I’ve ever allowed or had an official merchandising deal,” Prince-Bythewood said. “It felt like it was time with the 25th anniversary, and so I was like, ‘Who do I want to partner with?’ For the last year, I just kept seeing Playa Society gear, and it was always so dope to me, everything Esther was creating. It just had such a cool aesthetic, and obviously, it’s Black-owned. I was like, ‘That’s who want to partner with.’”
She added, “That’s who I want to see this film in a different way, and so from the first time we met, it was such an immediate click between us, and her love for the film and the authentic things that she’s been doing in this space, it just felt right. And I have to say, I had ideas for it, but I did kind of let her show me the way because I’d never done something like this before.”
Celebrating the legacy of Monica Wright
For Wallace, it was all about paying homage to the character Monica and what she symbolizes, not only for women athletes but also for those who don’t allow anything to get in the way of the pursuit of their dreams.
“Representation is timeless,” Wallace said. “The character Monica, especially, just being able to continue to be a role model, I think this is a perfect moment to really celebrate the character.”
“When I started Playa Society, a lot of people told me it was a waste of time to work in women’s sports or to create products for women’s sports, so I doubled down on the amount of time that I put into this. I was like, ‘You know what? I’m actually gonna sketch every woman and put her on a T-shirt. Because, for me, that’s the ultimate tribute that I could pay to some of the women that I idolize, or the icons of the game, and I’m like Monica deserves her moment now.”
“There’s something about this character Monica, who just fought,” Bythewood added. “She fought and believed, despite the world telling her that something was wrong with her. Knowing that she was special — and also love stories. Love stories are timely, and this was a young woman who realized that she could have it all. You can have love and a career. That’s what my life was, you know, with my husband Reggie Rock [Bythewood]. I wanted to give that to the world to know that, as women, we didn’t have to choose between love or a career; you could have both. Just find somebody who sees you, who believes in you, because that’s what we need.”
The drop will feature Love & Basketball and “Ball Better Than You” hoodies, which are also available in a cropped version. The drop will also feature a variety of T-shirts, including a cover one with the film’s iconic poster, Lil Monica, the younger version of Sanaa Lathan’s character in the movie, and a “Ball Better Than You” tee, as well as a Love & Basketball beanie.
“Ball Better Than You” is a nod to one of the film’s iconic lines.
“Esther and I have been talking, and the beauty of how Esther works and the fact that this is going to go on for a year, this collaboration is really listening to the audience and hearing the things that people want to wear, the line they gravitate towards, that we can put on some of this gear. Our ears are definitely open, and I love when people quote [the film], because there’s always something different. We want to honor the things that people want to see.”
The Love & Basketball 25th anniversary Playa Society Drop I officially launched last month.