NEW ORLEANS — It's clear that the NFL doesn't want to just drop into a city, play a big game and leave. The league has expressed a desire to connect with each community that hosts the Super Bowl. This year, Super Bowl LIX was in New Orleans and the NFL brought back the Origins program for its fourth year. The league partners with local artists to create exclusive merchandise that celebrates the Super Bowl's host city.
This year's artists were Toni Point and Alysia Fields of Statement Goods, Sneaker Politics and Jerin "Jerk" Beasley. Each brand brought their distinct voice and perspective of New Orleans to their pieces. Point and Fields' collection was more playful. Sneaker Politics' offering was more gritty. Beasley's pieces were vibrant.
All three artists wanted to offer hope and showcase New Orleans' resilience. Besides navigating devastating natural disasters the past two decades — August marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina — the community was shaken by an attack on New Year's Day that killed 14 people.
"We need this," Beasley said of the significance of the NFL recognizing the city through the Origins initiative.
The NFL elevated Origins by showcasing the items in a gallery format and creating a full experience with music and drinks. The league also made the collection very exclusive. The pieces were only available for one day at a pop-up shop in the French Quarter and online for a short window of time. Football fans lined up outside the store to get their hands on the items, but friends and family, including Point's mother and Beasley's wife, were on site early to offer their loved ones support for the special day.
Statement Goods
Toni Point and Alysia Fields started Statement Goods as a greeting card company. Their whimsical designs led further down the graphic design route.
There was a mystery lingering in the artists' minds as they soaked in the honor bestowed upon them by the NFL.
"They keep telling us, 'Oh we love your work!'" Point told Kick The Concrete, "but the big question is we don't know how they found us."
Regardless of how they got there, Point and Fields were grateful for the opportunity and used it to offer something more accessible to fans, including a pin. Besides the price points, the designs are also friendly to all, including an animated bucket of crawfish.
"We really wanted to celebrate all of New Orleans," Point said. "The music, the food, there's so much to the city."
Sneaker Politics
Sneaker Politics went a grittier route with their designs. The streetwear retailer has multiple locations throughout Louisiana and Texas, but vice president of brand management Andrew Koerner said that New Orleans exemplifies the audience that the company identifies with.
"That’s our heart and soul there," he told Kick The Concrete. "... I think the New Orleans one is definitely the staple as far as it comes to our culture, our kind of vibe, people look at Politics and they kind of think of us and New Orleans together."
Koerner continued that the collection is inspired by 1990s fashion and the resilience of the city. The washes, distressing and stark color palette were meant to invoke the sun-bleached fading on the shotgun style houses. Koerner is a San Francisco 49ers fan and said that the swagger of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice also influenced the vision.
Having the co-sign of the NFL was a "significant honor."
"The fact that we got to make product that had our brand and the NFL logo on it is a huge deal," he said "That was kind of like a stamp of approval."
Jerin "Jerk" Beasley
Jerin "Jerk" Beasley wanted to make his city proud. The NFL discovered his work when they were scouting New Orleans and a painting he had in a local lounge/gallery caught the attention of executives. The league reached out about collaborating and Beasley didn't hesitate.
"When you say, 'NFL,' of course I’m interested," he told Kick The Concrete. "I’ll figure out the rest later."
Beasley's work was the most vibrant of the group. The bright red motifs jumped off the walls. His pieces were all inspired by a painting he did of a Mardi Gras Indian.
"It’s almost like it’s a wearable print in a way," he said. "Some people buy prints to hang on their wall. But in this case, I put my art on clothes as well, so you can be a walking billboard and be colorful, represent the culture of New Orleans."
Beasley was also part of Super Bowl festivities with The Athlete's Foot, a streetwear retailer. He painted a mural during the company's fundraising party in partnership with Master P for victims of the New Year's Day attack.
He explained how the community serves as his foundation.
"Local give me the strength to go forward so the world can see if that makes sense," he said. "They’re the gas to my spaceship I would say to get me so everyone else can see me and I can travel with it. So local support means a lot to me. When nobody else is supporting, you can always rely on home to kind of support, at least me myself for sure."
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