As excited as I get to work on new products and collections, it doesn’t compare to the feeling I get in giving those products a deeper story. When thinking about this year’s Fall collection, I wanted to create a collegiate capsule. More importantly, I wanted to create a capsule for local colleges that aren’t as highlighted as the big name schools known around the country, to instill school pride in students in the areas I grew up in.

There’s always one brand that comes to mind when thinking of collegiate or campus products, and that’s Russell Athletic. No one has more heritage in creating university product than Russell, dating back to the 1920s-30s. It’s known that Russell is credited with inventing the sweatshirt, but what’s less known is what inspired this creation. In 1926, founder Benjamin Russell’s son had come home from football practice in the hot Alabama sun. Ben saw his son’s discomfort wearing a wool jersey and began working on a heavyweight durable cotton version. This led to the original sweatshirt going into production in 1930.

This foundation in school athletics led Russell to becoming the namesake brand for campuses nationwide. As we began designing our collection, I went back through the archives we’ve accrued from working with Russell over our last four partnerships. We found so much inspiration in their vintage catalogs, from their color cards to chenille patch options.

I’m proud to present our first collegiate capsule which was crafted in partnership with The City University of New York, Queens College & Brooklyn College. I was born and raised in Queens, and our first UrlfreezeShops store opened in Brooklyn, making this project that much more important to us.