Sotheby’s New Jordan Auction, Pantone Adds More Skin Tones
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LATEST JORDAN SALE: Sotheby’s is bringing its latest coveted sports memorabilia item to the auction market.
The auction house said Tuesday it will be auctioning Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Air Jordan 13s from his “The Last Dance” season. The sneakers are expected to sell for between $2 million and $4 million, which would break the current auction record for a pair of sneakers, making them the most valuable sneakers to appear at auction.
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The sneakers will be auctioned during a two-part Sotheby’s sports memorabilia sale taking place from April 3 to 11.
“Michael Jordan game-worn sports memorabilia have proven time and time again to be the most elite and coveted items on the market,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles. “However, items from his ‘Last Dance’ season are of a greater scale and magnitude as seen with our record-breaking sale of his Game 1 jersey in 2022. Worn in his final year with the Bulls, the iconic Air Jordans coming to auction this April will be sure to excite the collector community and sports fans in this most important Jordan Year.”
The Air Jordan 13s, known as “bred” as a shorthand synonym for “black and red,” is a style the NBA athlete wore since the beginning of the Jordan brand and throughout his basketball career. According to Sotheby’s, Jordan’s first pair of the sneakers was banned by the NBA because the colors violated the league’s uniform code. The NBA would reportedly fine Jordan $5,000 per game when he wore the sneakers.
The shoes will be auctioned in conjunction with the release of the new film “Air,” which tells the story of Jordan’s partnership with Nike and the inception of the Jordan brand.
This is Sotheby’s latest of Jordan’s sports memorabilia it’s bringing to auction. In September, the auction house sold Jordan’s game-worn 1998 NBA Final jersey, which broke records and sold for $10.1 million, making it the most valuable basketball jersey ever sold at auction. — LAYLA ILCHI
MORE COLORS: For the first time in 10 years, Pantone LLC is broadening its SkinTone Guide to appeal to a wider audience.
Initially launched with 110 skin tones for the cosmetics industry, the extended range has 28 additional color options and is targeted at a broader range of creatives. Along with beauty, the guide is suitable for such other sectors as fashion, home, interiors, the metaverse, prosthetics and toys. The guide can be applied to product development, packaging, advertising and more. As more brands and corporations are trying to be more inclusive, Pantone is trying to offer them a tool to expedite those efforts with more hues for members of the AAPI and Black communities. The updated version is a nod to the importance of greater representation and inclusivity.
Tannese Williams, product manager for fashion, home and interiors for Pantone, said, “This is a really great time in our society to express that and celebrate that. It’s opening up conversations that need to be had. It’s OK to talk about wanting to be more inclusive. Whether they are Asian, Black or white, everyone can have a conversation and be comfortable.”
Skin-tone bias, which reveals an automatic preference for light skin versus dark skin, is one of the dimensions of racial bias that is being given greater consideration by some corporations and academics, including the long-term research study Project Implicit at Harvard University. A May 2020 report by the Association of National Advertisers’ indicated that 75 percent of its members had an organization-wide supplier diversity initiative, but only 40 percent had one for marketing and advertising services.
To that end, the SkinTone Guide, which is integrated into the digital platform Pantone Connect, can help creatives be more inclusive through advertising and product development — whatever that product is, Williams said. Avatars and other digital applications are increasingly of interest. Another change to the guide is an intentional omission — nude is no longer referenced due to the breadth of options. Some VOC participants also said they didn’t want to have to blend two products to get the right match or to be conscientious about an ill-colored bra strap showing through their clothes. “Nude is not just one nude.”
Through Pantone-led global VOCs, Black participants said they weren’t finding appropriate skin tone matches, Williams said. Consumers also indicated that “there needs to be more color that represents the world and all of its races.” she said.
Along with the more expected areas that have good reason for the skin tone guide like athleisure, lingerie and cosmetics, interest in it has gained in the bridal sector, film production and nail design, Williams noted.
Although more skin tone colors exist, the count is currently capped at 138 so that the untrained human eye can see the difference between shades and so that the standardized color can be reproduced. — ROSEMARY FEITELBERG
POLO’S BIG REVEAL: It was the end of 2021 when Ralph Lauren signed a license with Delta Galil to create an intimates and sleepwear line for its Polo brand.
Now it’s time for the big consumer reveal.
On Wednesday, the company will introduce its collection of bras, underwear, T-shirts, tanks, pajama sets, sleep shirts, slips, robes and caftans through a dedicated campaign.
Shot by Sean Thomas and featuring model Vivienne Rohner, the campaign is designed to “reflect the timeless and effortless quality of women’s Polo,” according to the company.
The images will be used on Polo’s fashion and lifestyle digital and social media channels.
Polo Women’s Sleepwear & Intimates is broken down into three concepts: Everyday Essentials, a collection that includes bras, underwear, sleep sets and robes made from organic cotton. It also encompasses the Rib Seamless line of bra and brief sets with the Polo logo featured on the waistband.
Then there is Iconic Stripes, a collection of pajamas and sleep shirts in cotton poplin, as well as the Novelty collection of bras, underwear and sleepwear in mesh, lace and silk.
The collection, which retails for $30 to $98 for the intimates and $110 to $465 for the sleepwear, will be sold on the Ralph Lauren website and select retailers globally. — JEAN E. PALMIERI
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