Cruz released two timepieces co-designed with the Swiss watchmaker Hublot this week. Both are riffs on the brand’s Classic Fusion Aerofusion, with one done up in titanium and the other in gold.
While the collaboration also comes with Hublot’s support of the full New York Giants team—the company is now the official watch sponsor and timekeeper of the team—the link-up with Cruz is only the wide receiver’s latest step in his ascension towards a fully realized fashion presence.
Last November he dropped a collaborative shoe with Nike in what is arguably his largest fashion move to date. After releasing in a Haystack colorway, the style debuted in a variety of other options. This year will, in all likelihood, see even more iterations. But it’s more than just sneakers.
A month before the Nike Air Trainer Cruz dropped, the Cruz released an all-denim, five-piece collection with influential NYC denim brand 3×1. With prices starting at $325 and pieces like a double-breasted military overcoat, the project was no doubt more niche than a signature sneaker—but it also flexed a certain design sensibility absent from run-of-the-mill “celeb designed” gear.
As evidenced by Kanye West, though, it takes more than a fascination with design to make it in this business—it takes a support from the industry.
Cruz has that base covered. In 2015, the Pro Bowl athlete was an ambassador for the first season of New York Fashion Week: Men’s. In addition to that, he maintains a close relationship with brands like Ronnie Fieg’s Kith (he was at the debut fashion week show), Public School, Calvin Klein, and more. He’s also been the face of Givenchy’s watch line as well as a Hugo Boss fragrance campaign. So he definitely has the contacts. And the desire.
Cruz has more collaborations in the pipeline and is interested in starting a brand of his own. With the in-roads he’s already made into the industry, we’re betting it won’t be that difficult.
