The Super Bowl is a global sporting event that people from across the world tune in to watch. One aspect of the big game that can easily get lost is all the local events happening in the city hosting the Super Bowl. However, the NFL made sure to showcase the talent Arizona has for the world to see.
The NFL reached out to four local creatives and brands: Ashley Macias (local artist), Elias Jade (Elias Jade Not Afraid), Jeremy Davis (Manor) and Jared Yazzie (OXDX) to work on a retail pop-up shop collaboration.
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, the pop-up shop located at The Showcase Room in Tempe opened from 2–6 p.m. for the public to see all the final products on display.
Sitting at the back of the room, the display featured a desert theme with a sunset background, sand on the ground and all of the unique work dangling from the ceiling. With vibrant colors illuminating the room, the one-of-a-kind collection was impossible to miss.
Jade, a bead artist who grew up on a small Navajo reservation in Whitecone, Ariz., was inspired by a piece of ledger paper of the Apsaalooke Nation (Crow Tribe) he found that dated back to the early 1900s. Being able to partner with the NFL while still showing his roots was something very important to Jade.
“This shows that the NFL is doing the work that needs to be done by reaching out to not only local artists but indigenous artists as well,” says Jade. “Kudos to them because they are stepping up their game and to have someone like me here is crazy.”
Jade was not the only indigenous artist to put work on display as Yazzie also tapped his roots to come up with a design.
“I was inspired by Arizona as a whole,” says Yazzie. “This includes desert, highlands, mountains, native people and it really is just a huge collection of culture in Arizona. We are trying to showcase the Navajo side as I am a Navajo designer, so there was a lot of Navajo influence with the design.”
The third brand that had clothing took a different approach to its design.
“A majority of our products that we designed are all inspired by the state of Arizona,” says Davis. “The sunsets, the cactus and the colors we use really represent the state as a whole.”
Finally, Macias was able to put her four personalized prints that commemorate the events around and including Super Bowl 57.
“Whether you love football, art or supporting your community it is important to have events like this,” says Macias. “This event in particular is a place for people to mingle but also appreciate the NFL as well as the local artists here that are showing their talent.”
Despite coming up with all the different types of designs and themes for the collection, all four locals were shocked when they received an email from the NFL stating that they wanted to collaborate on this collection.
One thing is clear, no matter how massive the event, there will always be room for local brands and artists to showcase their talent for the world to see.
For anyone interested in seeing the designs for themselves and possibly purchasing any merchandise, each brand’s website still has limited-edition clothing on sale while supplies last.
