March Madness is officially upon us. Every year alumni dust off their old college gear squeezing into a shirt two-sizes-too-small riddled with mystery stains and moth holes to relive the past and irrationally support a team they know nothing about. Fueled by liquid courage, fans haphazardly slur how their 16 seed alma mater will take down a 1 seed. This year, from the vision of top street-wear luxury designer, Don C, comes a Wendy’s inspired clothing collaboration giving fans an opportunity to root for their teams in an updated college wardrobe.
Don C, dressed in Adidas Calabasas sweats that draped over his retro Nike Air Tech Challenge 2’s, eased into a booth at Twitter’s Headquarters to enjoy the first round games of March Madness. “Make sure you get my shoes in the shot,” he said to our photographer while swinging his feet on to the booth.
I like to always juxtapose something outside my comfort zone and infuse it with sports. I am happy to bring stuff that’s not in the basketball space and partner it with the iconic Wendy’s,” Don C explained while grabbing fries off a passing waitresses tray.
Don C has become a ubiquitous name in streetwear fashion and culture collaborating with Jordan, NBA, and Levi’s. Hailing from the Windy City, Don C put a luxury spin on a local Chicago hat known as the buck 50, which took his local buzz to the mainstream market. Popularized by his friends, Kanye West and Jay Z, during their Watch the Throne tour, Don C creates another iconic hat for the Wendy’s collection.
“I used the pile velvet and the gold buckle, which is what I am know for with the caps. The buckle was actually inspired by a Cartier watchband. I don’t think I’ve told anyone that before,” Don C said.
The designing process for Don C became nostalgic as he recounted his fondest memories with his father who passed away a few years ago. “I remember cold ass Chicago with my dad eating chili because it was comfort food,” Don C continued, “My dad was the most influential person throughout my life. He put me up on sports and most of the principles I live by today. He is the person that educated me about Michael Jordan. It was a fond nostalgic project that came from 95th and King Drive Wendy’s in Chi-town.”
Don C points over to the top of an electronic kiosk with a live twitter feed. “You see the original Wendy’s store on that? I was inspired by that and the Wendy’s uniforms from the past. The designs are comfortable and it doesn’t scream Wendy’s, but you get the hint of the brand…and I think it’ll make a person feel cool,” he shared.
The collection, which features a hat, hoodie, a sweatshirt and two t-shirts will be available at select regional round locations of the tournament and the Final Four in San Antonio. As for Don C’s tournament prediction, he laughs and says Michigan St. is winning it all because “I saw Obama pick them in his bracket.”