If you’re not familiar with Sorella, the popular store sits on the corner of Melrose in Los Angeles and provides Instagram-worthy attire. When shopping in LA, it’s a must-see and tourist attraction due to its popular slogan “Girls Tour” plastered on a pink mural down the block from the store. Fresh off a collab with the rap duo City Girls and launching the #GirlsTour by Sorella ambassador and mentorship program, the company has announced its latest partnership with the iconic ’90s brand FUBU. “As young black female entrepreneurs, this collaboration is important to us,” Sanders told ESSENCE. Launching on Monday, the new collection will feature sporty looks to varsity jackets with pops of neon green and baby blue.
“As young black female entrepreneurs, this collaboration is important to us.”
Founded by Daymond John, J. Alexander Martin, Keith Perrin, and Carl Brown, FUBU catapulted into the hands of hip-hop’s elite and became a staple in 90’s fashion. Now with brands like Fila and Baby Phat making a comeback, it was only right for the brand to make their mark in 2019.
We got a chance to chat with Heather Sanders about the FUBU x Sorella partnership, read below.
ESSENCE: How did the collab come about?
SANDERS: The FUBU team approached us a couple months back to create a collection, it was totally unexpected but we were ready. Our team came together and designed a collection with two colorways. We chose baby blue to connect more with the original esthetic of FUBU and lime green to align more with our modern Sorella style.
ESSENCE: Why did you choose FUBU To Collab with?
SANDERS: We thought it would be a great collaboration for the culture. In the past, we’ve resold vintage FUBU so when the FUBU team came to us about a collaboration, we couldn’t turn it down. It’s important because our stories are so similar. Starting off with a couple of hundred dollars, a lot of hustle, and even more hard work. It’s possible to create a legacy.
ESSENCE: How do you feel about brands from the ’90s and ’00s making a comeback?
SANDERS: I think it’s amazing. These are the brands that I grew up wearing so to see that they have the power to come back in a completely different generation is really cool. I think that it’s even better that they’re collaborating with young and fresh brands like Sorella.
ESSENCE: Who is this collection for?
SANDERS: This collection is for everyone. It was important to us that we incorporated some old school styles as well as modern styles to touch a bigger fan base. We wanted our current customer to be able to find something fly and we also wanted the 90s and 2000 babies to be able to enjoy this collection as well.
ESSENCE: What’s your favorite piece?
SANDERS: My favorite piece would have to be the Baby Blue FUBU Bomber Jacket. When I think of FUBU that’s what I think of, the fly OG puffy jacket. It was mandatory that we added that piece into this collection.
ESSENCE: What are your next steps with Sorella?
SANDERS: First up is our #GirlsTour by Sorella Ambassador and Mentorship Program where we’ll be selecting 12 girls nationwide to mentor. During this mentorship, they’ll be designing, learning business fundamentals, and how to produce creative content. At the end of the mentorship, they will walk away with the skills to become a boss babe and a philanthropist in their community. After that, we want to dive into an actual Girls Tour by creating merchandise pop-ups in our most sought out cities. This will give us an opportunity to connect with our supporters and give the streets what they want.
The collection will go live on www.sosorella.com Monday, July 29th.