James Whitner Speaks With Aria, Bjørn Brags, Plus New Nike CEO Minutia
Update: A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was told Authentic Brands Group plans to bring management of Reebok collaborations back in house, ending New Guards Group’s role in directing partners—timing uncertain.
I have since heard back from a Authentic Brands Group representative who said, “NGG continues to be under contract as our pinnacle partner driving Reebok’s fashion collaborations.” When I emailed back and asked for details on the length of the contract, I didn’t get a response, so that remains a question mark.
James Whitner Explains
Just as I was about to put this newsletter in the queue, in came a Complex video, marking the debut of Editor-in-Chief Aria Hughes’ “Please Explain” show, described as “an explainer show about culture, fashion, and music that brings context, not confusion, to the internet.”
Putting aside my delight at seeing the wonderful Ms. Hughes getting a platform, as it happens her first guest is Whitaker Group founder James Whitner, who provided Complex with his first interview following the news of government dropping its prosecution against him (more about that below).
In an engaging exchange that was as much fun to watch (Hughes and Whitner are both very attractive and Hughes’ chill-yet-persistent follow up skills are goals!) as it is to listen to, below are some highlights:
12:00: Plans to open an A Ma Maniére store in Harlem (which I’ve heard has been delayed because of permitting issues).
23:49: Addressing whether the brand’s goals with campaigns is to be controversial.
43:22: When asked point-blank-period by Hughes whether he was guilty of backdooring product, Whitner said the company was practicing “inventory management.” Whitner added he was moving product from full-priced stores to Off Season, a Whitaker Group outlet store whose footprint ranges from one store to five, depending on the season. “We weren’t reselling goods or reselling any product that people wanted, exactly the opposite, it was a bunch of things that no one wanted.” (Note: I feel like there could have been more pressing follow up on this response, but I get it.)
45:42: Whitner’s response to criticism of his description of an expose on designer Kerby Jean-Raymond by The Cut as a “a modern lynching of a Black creative.”
50:25: The difference between a collaborative designer like Salahe Bembury and a person with taste.
57:06: More details on the sneakers he’s wearing.
1:00:35: His thoughts on potentially taking outside investment.
That’s One Way To Look At It
Prior to the Complex interview, James Whitner of the Whitaker Group took to Instagram where he announced that the government had dropped its investigation against him because of a lack of “admissible evidence to support prosecution.” At the same time, Whitner chose not to mention that he was no longer pursuing the $1.2M seized by prosecutors in what was described as an alleged money-laundering operation. All the details on the case here.
Many on the internets are concluding that Whitner chose to pass on petitioning to have the seized money returned because it may have opened a not-too-savory can of worms providing the government with the needed evidence to prosecute its case. It should be noted that Whitner was never charged, and so…all’s well that ends well!
Leadership Matters
Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden was interviewed at the brand’s headquarters by Business of Fashion where he spoke about the success of Samba, a game-changing shoe for the brand. Gulden joined the brand in January 2023, during a period when Samba was beginning to heat up as an item (see my chart above from a September 2023 newsletter).
Adidas was enjoying the success of the silhouette, but according to Gulden, while the team had caught the trend, the plan was to stick to a normal schedule, meaning production would be ramped up for fall 2024 deliveries.
Enter Gulden, who said, “For whatever reason, no one wanted to scale it. It took five days [of being in the job] to say: ‘Hey, we’re scaling production’ and then to get the people that told me no to change their minds.”
A big move that meant the shoe could be shipped in big volumes to retailers at the beginning of 2024, rather than in the midst of or after the all-important back-to-school period.
Elliott Hill’s Favorite Shoe Is the Epic React
In a homespun-feeling video, new Nike CEO Elliott Hill reintroduces himself to Nike staff and touches on his hopes for the company. A couple of the questions and answers below:
Q: What are some of the biggest things you’ve learned since starting as an intern?
Hill: Working at Nike for over three decades, I learned to always put the consumer at the center of everything and every decision we make. Learned to be a great teammate, it was never about “I” or “me,” it was about “we” and “us,” and if we win, I win. Learn to be curious, ask questions. I think asking those questions is what helps us get to a better answer or decision. And I learned to always deliver results and hold myself accountable.Q: What should we be focused on?
Hill: We must do two things simultaneously: First, we have to win now. We have to be serving the consumer, activating our offense and making sure we’re delivering results while we’re setting ourselves up for the future and our future success.Q: What’s your favorite Nike shoe?
Hill: My favorite shoe is the Epic React and to be a little more specific, I really like Epic React in black with the black Swoosh. I love it because it’s super versatile. I can dress it up, I can dress it down, I can wear it on the street, but I can also go run in it. It is a shoe that goes everywhere with me, in my bag when I travel.
Foot Locker Toasts The Change
Nike’s changing of the guard was a big enough deal for Foot Locker to send an internal note to employees about the appointment of Elliott Hill as the company’s new CEO, a document obtained by Complex reporter Brendan Dunne. It makes sense if you consider that Nike while reduced in volume still makes up about 60% of the chain’s sales revenue.
The Potential Is There!
Nike made an appearance on Milan-based The Attico’s spring 2025 runway in the form of sport bras and bodysuits. Commenting on the effort, The Attico designer Giorgia Tordini told Hypbae, “We mixed in sportswear this season to tap into the masculine side which is one side of our woman which is always there. This partnership with Nike is just the starting point. We added a few pieces like Shox and ready-to-wear. We treated them like the rest of the collection to make them look old. More to come with Nike!”
Personally, I view this as a dud collab if it’s limited to generic sports bras and bodysuits, but if Nike lets The Attico get even a little creative, the resulting garments could be something fun. If you’re not familiar with The Attico, it’s known in the current fashion cycle as the brand that set the bar for extremely fashionable cargo pants and they’ve been knocked off by everyone.