Style
Jordan made special sweatsuits for its WNBA players — and they’re incredible
A Toronto-based DIY design trio was commissioned by the Jumpman.
The latest WNBA players to sign with Jordan Brand are getting hooked up with custom sweatsuits for all to envy. Toronto design trio “Bentgablenits” was commissioned by the Jumpman to make the luxurious bespoke sets of hoodies and sweatpants lined with velvet. Only seven sets were made, and five of them were given to the professional hoopers.
Surrounding the Jumpman badge on the hoodies is intricate crochet trimming to go along with handmade flower embellishments. Smaller crochet patterns also appear on the sweatpants, embodying Bentgablenits’ ethos of combining old-school craftsmanship with modern sportswear.
The lucky few to receive the Jordan Brand x Bentgablenits sweatsuits will be the Dallas Wings’ Satou Sabally, Los Angeles Sparks’ Te’a Cooper, Las Vegas Aces’ Dearica Hamby, Seattle Storms’ Jordin Canada, and Minnesota Linx’s Crystal Dangerfield. Even though you’ve got no shot at this specific collab, you should check out what else Bentgablenits has cooked up.
More on Bentgablenits — Brenda Bent, Karen Gable, and Angelo Nitsopoulos comprise the design trio named for each of their surnames. The former two have a background in fashion design but became successful as interior designers before linking with Nitsopoulos to start a new clothing-based practice.
Bentgablenits specializes in sourcing vintage apparel and upcycling it by adding crochet, lace, and other handmade elements. Each piece is one of a kind and fits in with the DIY spirit that’s become embraced by fashion in recent years.
“We’ve always been drawn to craftsmanship,” Gable told Jordan Brand in an interview. “Who in this day and age can spend 40 hours making a doily? It’s a dying art. By putting things like doilies on worthy garments, we find that they just go together, in a sense. We’re always trying to mix the vintage look with something modern.”
Drake has worn a custom hoodie from the upcycling trio, and they’ve also released a collection at Selfridges. But with just 37,000 Instagram followers, Bentgablenits is still relatively under the radar — giving you the chance to become an early adopter of its wares.
Get yourself a handmade piece — Many of Bentgablenits’ product launches sell out, but right now you can still pick up animal-themed hoodies for $195 and sweatpants for $225 — about what you’d pay for factory-made items from, say, Supreme. The brand is also worth a follow on Instagram to see what it cooks up next.
