- Culture
- 20 Mar 01
Ultra-hip clothing label FUBU has arrived in Ireland. And it s impact will be felt in clubland too!
FUBU, the world s fastest growing clothing label, has arrived in Ireland and street fashion will never be the same again.
FUBU (For Us, By Us), is the creation of 22 year-old Daymond John from Queens in New York City, USA. Daymond originally sold headgear he designed himself to the street vendors of NYC. From there he progressed to a point where FUBU was competing with the big boys (and girls) of US fashion, gradually building the company up to its present annual turnover of $470 million.
With the theme of FUBU s creations an amalgamation of Street and Style, with a hefty dose of Savvy attached for good measure. Strong but comfortable fabrics, extraordinary colours and exceptional prints are the hallmarks of the FUBU line and all items are heavily branded and engineered with toggles, zips and velcro aplenty. The company designs for men and women with equal flair, and a footwear selection has recently been developed to complete the FUBU look.
Apart from the quality and flair of the clothes themselves, the label has been helped along the way by the patronage of various celebrities including rapper LL Cool J, singer Mariah Carey, chart-topping hip-hoppers The Fugees, actor Will Smith and boxer Lennox Lewis. Style guru Ali G has also been seen sporting the FUBU label.
LL Cool J in particular has been championing the label for some years no surprise since he s from the same neighbourhood as its founder. The rapper appeared in FUBU s first ever print advert, which was not placed in a fashion publication but in Hip-Hop magazine The Source. Also LL wore a FUBU hat during a television commercial he recorded for The Gap chain, even cheekily incorporating the For Us By Us line into the commercial s music track.
With that musical pedigree it s fitting that FUBU are planning to celebrate the company s arrival in Ireland with the launch of Club FUBU, every Sunday night at Fresh and Funky in HQ, Abbey St, Dublin. The FUBU launch party takes place on Sunday 8th October and it promises to be a red hot, celebrity-studded occasion. As well as deejays playing Hip-Hop and R n B cuts, live entertainment will be provided by the hot new London-based hip-hop outfit TPD, who launch their The Real Funking Thing album later this year. The band feature renowned London deejay Crazy D on deck duties, and are ready to rock the house so be there!
Meanwhile, watch out for the FUBU label, coming soon to a body near you! The nation expects
Selected FUBU lines are now available from Champion Sports outlets, from Arnotts and from Mahers of Cork.